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

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-09-11T01:54:22Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/california-passes-bills-banning-teens-from-addictive-social-media-and-limiting

## Summary

California signed 13 new bills aimed at protecting children online, with two measures targeting teens. The first law bars users under 16 from “addictive” social media tools such as infinite scroll and autoplay, or forces them off the platform entirely. The second limits chatbot interactions for minors, imposing time caps, built‑in mental‑health resources, and safety plans that trigger parental alerts if a self‑harm threat is detected.

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.

## Key points

- California bans addictive social media features for users under 16, requiring removal of infinite scroll and autoplay.
- New chatbot law limits minors’ interaction time, mandates mental‑health resources, and forces parental alerts on self‑harm detection.
- OpenAI supports the bill; Meta faces a $17 billion settlement to fund mental‑health programs for teens.

## Why it matters

The legislation sets a precedent for regulating AI and social media to protect minors, potentially reshaping platform design, liability, and data practices worldwide.

## Sources

1. [California enacts laws restricting chatbots and banning teens from ‘addictive’ social media](https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2026/09/california-enacts-laws-restricting-chatbots-protecting-kids-online) (calmatters.org, 2026-09-11)

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## Cite

Digest AI, "California Passes Bills Banning Teens From Addictive Social Media and Limiting AI Chatbots", 11 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/california-passes-bills-banning-teens-from-addictive-social-media-and-limiting

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