Common Sense Media Hails Passage of Several Kids’ Online Safety Bills in California

SACRAMENTO, August 31, 2024 – Today, the California legislative session came to a close, and Common Sense Media praised lawmakers for sending Gov. Gavin Newsom several important bills to sign that will strengthen kids' online safety and privacy.

"Probably the most important bill the legislature approved this year for kids, teens and families is Sen. Nancy Skinner's S. 976, the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act," said Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer. "I strongly urge Gov. Newsom to sign this bill to make social media safer and healthier for kids and teens, and for their families."

"Skinner's bill, among other things, would require large social media companies to offer minors only chronological feeds, and not algorithmic feeds, on social media sites that so many kids and teens use today," Steyer added. "That means that kids will see more content that they choose to see – from their friends or others that they signed up to see – rather than what Meta and other large companies want kids to see because they make so much money off of keeping them hooked online. This bill is good for kids' mental and physical health."

Common Sense led an effort in New York to get a similar bill signed into law in June, the SAFE For Kids Act.

Steyer also hailed passage of a bill by Assemblymember Berman and Senator Wahab to make it illegal to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through artificial intelligence. "AI cannot be allowed to be an excuse for horrific child sexual abuse material to proliferate on the internet. The governor should also sign this bill into law as soon as possible."

And Steyer praised passage of several other bills, including SB 1504 by Senator Stern to address the growing problem of cyberbullying, and AB 1948 by Assemblymember Wicks to strengthen California's data privacy law for minors.

At the same time, Steyer noted that lobbyists for Meta succeeded in killing an important bill, AB 3172 by Assemblymember Lowenthal, that would have increased financial penalties against social media companies found guilty in court of harming kids and teens online through company negligence.

"We are disappointed that the Lowenthal bill is yet another casualty of spineless political chess, driven by Meta and its deep lobbying pockets," Steyer said. "The biggest losers of this unfortunate outcome are kids themselves, who are suffering the consequences of social media's addictive and dangerous design features and practices that continue to exacerbate America's youth mental health crisis. Meta and Big Tech will not change their ways unless they are forced, and that includes having lawmakers hit them where it hurts - their wallets. That is what this bill attempted to do, and Common Sense Media remains unwavering in our commitment to getting this done in 2025."

Steyer made a direct appeal to the governor to sign the kids' online safety and privacy bills. "Families in California are counting on the governor to do the right thing and sign these important bills into law and continue our state's leadership in this critical battle to make the internet and technology safe and healthier for all kids, teens and their families."