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Newsom Puts California in Forefront of AI, Social Media Regs With Bill Signings

By  |  October 14, 2025

Silicon Valley won its tussle with Hollywood over California’s online age verification law. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1043 requiring device makers and app stores to perform age-checks online before granting access to their services.

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    The bill enjoyed rare support from technology companies, which have opposed similar measures in other states. But it attracted last-minute opposition from the Hollywood studios worried that device-based age checks would create confusion when parents and kids use separate streaming profiles with different permission settings under a single account.

    The age-check law was one of a package of bills Newsom signed Monday targeting social media platforms and AI chatbots and aimed at increasing protections for minors online. One such measure, AB 56, requires platforms to regularly display warning labels about the addictive nature of social media. According to Deadline, platforms must display a black box warning “to certain users each day the user initially accesses the social media platform, again after 3 hours of cumulative active use, and thereafter at least once per hour of cumulative active use, as prescribed.” The warnings do not have to be displayed if the platform or service has “reasonably determined” that the user is at least age 17.

    Another measure, SB 243, is intended to protect children and vulnerable users from harms associated with AI chatbots, making California the first state to regulate the increasingly popular virtual companions.

    Read more: Meta Platforms Hit with New Lawsuit Over Instagram Shopping

    “Emerging technology like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect — but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead, and endanger our kids,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability.” Under SB 243 AI companies can be held legally accountable if their chatbots fail to meet the law’s safety standards, according to TechCrunch.

    In a win for tech companies, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have imposed massive fines on social media platforms that feed their users violent or extremist content. Opponents of the measure argued it could potentially violate both the platforms’ and users’ free speech rights, setting up a potentially lengthy and expensive court battle.

    In a statement, Newsom said he shared concerns about “discriminatory threats, violence and coercive harassment online,” but added, “Our first step should be to determine if, and to what extent, existing civil rights laws are sufficient to address violations perpetrated through algorithms.”

    The moves come as states in general, and California in particular, have stepped up efforts to erect guardrails around AI and stiffen regulations of social media platforms in the absence of meaningful federal regulation. Those efforts have also gained momentum in the wake of the failed effort by Republicans in Congress to impose a 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulations as part of the Big Beautiful Bill budget measure.

    “We can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly — protecting our children every step of the way,” Newsom said.