California Passes Bills Banning Teens From Addictive Social Media and Limiting AI Chatbots

Named after 16‑year‑old Adam Raine, who died by suicide in 2025 after receiving tips from ChatGPT, the bill also requires operators to provide safety plans and to notify parents when a bot detects self‑harm. OpenAI publicly endorsed the measure, saying it balances protection with continued access to useful AI tools.

Other provisions make social media companies legally liable for child harm, tighten age‑checking, expand child‑abuse content rules, and impose a four‑year moratorium on AI‑powered chatbot toys for under‑16s. The state also set standards for independent AI auditors and barred companies from collecting children’s data as a condition of use. Meta’s recent $17 billion settlement with California and other states will fund mental‑health programs and enforce product changes.