By SDCN Editor
Sacramento, CA–Moving to protect the health and well-being of youth on digital platforms, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 976 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), which prohibits online platforms from knowingly providing an addictive feed to a minor without parental consent.
The bill also prohibits social media platforms from sending notifications to minors during school hours and late at night.
Friday’s action builds on the enactment of bipartisan legislation in 2022 to require that online platforms consider the best interest of child users and default to privacy and safety settings that protect children’s mental and physical health and well-being. The state continues to defend the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act from a lawsuit challenging the first-in-the-nation law.
“Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children – isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night,” Newsom said. “With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits. I thank Senator Skinner for advancing this important legislation that puts children’s well-being first.”
