California Legislature Passes Bills on AI and Social Media Regulations

California’s Legislature, controlled by Democrats, recently passed numerous bills as their session ended. These include more than two dozen measures targeting AI and the use of social media by minors. Governor Gavin Newsom has until the end of the month to decide on signing these into law. His decisions could indicate his stance on pressing issues ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run.

The legislative session concluded with 26 bills focused on AI and social media. They aim to address concerns about addictive tech features and excessive AI use. A notable bill prohibits social media companies from offering addictive features like autoplay videos to users under 16. Additionally, new age verification rules and advertising restrictions for minors are set to enhance existing chatbot regulations. Social media platforms and AI chatbots could face financial liability if they fail to protect minors.

Experts believe these bills might form one of the strongest frameworks in the nation for safeguarding minors interacting with AI chatbots and social media. State Senator Steve Padilla, a bill author, criticized the federal government’s inaction on AI regulation. He stated that California is stepping in to protect children and prevent future social media issues. Padilla believes these California regulations could serve as a national model for a safer online environment.

Regarding AI, a bill mandates that instructors in the California State University system be humans. Instructors may still incorporate AI into their teaching. Another bill bans employers from using AI surveillance tools that gather neural data to evaluate employees’ emotional states. Retailers are barred from employing certain types of dynamic pricing, referred to as “surveillance pricing” in the bill.

Several bills focus on regulating AI in healthcare. One mandates therapy and psychotherapy services come from licensed professionals, barring chatbots from providing these services. Another clarifies AI chatbots’ compliance with existing medical confidentiality laws.

Governor Newsom, perceived as a tech industry ally throughout his office tenure, has adopted a more populist stance on AI. Though he hasn’t made public his approach to AI-related bills, he received outreach from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressing concerns over recent legislative measures.

Newsom’s governance intersected extensively with tech, aligning his interests with Silicon Valley. While the AI boom bolstered state revenue, Newsom’s presidential ambitions have prompted a shift toward more AI controls. Earlier, he issued an executive order for state collaboration with industry and academia to address AI’s impact on California’s workforce.

This year, Newsom also signed laws ensuring public schools’ services come from humans and requiring cars with location tracking to disclose this capability. California’s lawmakers further passed bills on law enforcement and federal government matters. One prohibits law enforcement from using electric shock gloves and allocates funds for related research by 2029. The move responded to plans by Trump’s ICE to purchase such gloves for Homeland Security subdivisions.

Additionally, legislation was passed to reform the state’s parole program for elderly inmates and to add state agencies to those prohibiting mask-wearing by officials.