California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation introducing new protections for children using AI companion chatbots and social media. The package, signed on 10 September, covers chatbot safeguards, platform design and children’s privacy.
Among the measures is Senate Bill 1119, known as Adam’s Law. According to bill sponsor Senator Steve Padilla, it will require risk assessments before new or substantially modified companion chatbots are released, independent compliance audits and crisis-support procedures.
The law includes parental notification provisions where there is a credible threat of imminent self-harm. It also sets default protections covering notifications, usage time and persistent conversational memory, which only a parent can change.
The Governor’s office says the wider package prohibits social platforms from offering under-16s addictive features such as autoplay and feeds based on users’ histories and profiles. It also strengthens protections around targeted advertising and the use of school pupils’ data in AI systems.
Newsom said in the official announcement: “Innovation comes with responsibility and protecting our children comes first.”
The signing establishes a new set of obligations for technology providers in California. The announcements do not specify all implementation dates, so the measures should not be assumed to apply immediately.
