Governor Gavin Newsom has enacted Senate Bill 976, marking a significant regulatory effort to moderate social media activity among young Californians. The statute, known as the Protecting Our Kids From Social Media Addiction Act, seeks to limit features that target users under 18 by requiring parental approval for access to content deemed addictive.
Building the Legal Framework
The legislation, introduced by State Senator Nancy Skinner, has gained support from several organizations including the Association of California School Administrators, Common Sense Media, and the state's American Academy of Pediatrics division.
Governor Newsom, alongside First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, emphasized the harmful psychological impacts of social media, citing increased feelings of loneliness, stress, and anxiety among youth.
Opposition and Constitutional Challenges
Notwithstanding its supporters, the bill has faced resistance from groups such as the ACLU of California and tech giants responsible for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Detractors warn that the law might encroach on free speech rights and raise privacy concerns through potential age checks. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups express concerns that it might restrict access to essential online communities for marginalized young individuals.
The law is expected to be enforced starting January 1, 2027. It mandates platforms to deliver content from known contacts in a straightforward order, rather than personalized feeds driven by algorithms. Additionally, notifications to minors will be confined within specific times unless sanctioned by parents. This measure is part of a broader Californian initiative aimed at holding tech companies responsible for the impact of their services on youth in light of ongoing legal challenges concerning their engagement strategies.
Call for Action by the US Surgeon General
In June, the US Surgeon General called on regulators to clamp down on social media companies over youth content. Highlighting these concerns in a New York Times opinion piece, Dr. Murthy emphasized the necessity of alerting users, especially teenagers, to the potential risks linked to extensive social media use.
Dr. Murthy's recommendations encompass broader measures to protect young users from online harms, such as harassment and exposure to harmful content. These measures include limiting data collection from minors, restricting features such as notifications and autoplay, and mandating social media platforms to disclose internal research data for public scrutiny. Dr. Murthy emphasizes the need for tangible demonstrations of safety improvements by these platforms.
Social media companies seem to be pre-empting a new regulatory landscape around how they administer content to young users. Last week, Instagram introduced Teen Accounts with several protections that extend beyond the normal platform. The platform is adjusting all accounts of those under 18 to private by default, limiting visibility of posts to approved followers only.
Another feature, “Sleep Mode,” will silence notifications for young users between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The initiative is part of an effort to create a safer environment for adolescents online.
Earlier this month, A bill restricting social media algorithms for users under 18 has been approved by the New York Legislature. The new legislation, the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act, mandates that platforms like TikTok and Instagram provide reverse-chronological feeds to minors instead of algorithm-driven content. Defined as “addictive feeds”, these algorithms use user data to personalize content, which is considered detrimental to minors' mental well-being.
The movement comes as another study found a worrying trend in the general use of social media. Americans are increasingly turning to TikTok for their news, according to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center. This rising trend is especially evident among younger adults who find TikTok‘s approach to delivering information appealing. The study examines how prominent social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, are reshaping news consumption habits in the U.S.
