California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday approved a comprehensive set of new child safety regulations targeting social media platforms and artificial intelligence chatbots, including a measure championed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

The decision to enact these laws comes at a pivotal moment for Silicon Valley. As federal and state lawmakers intensify calls for stronger AI oversight, current and former researchers from Anthropic and OpenAI issued warnings this week that the technology could pose an existential threat to humanity if left unchecked. Meanwhile, Meta, Google, Snap, and others are contending with hundreds of child safety lawsuits, highlighted by Meta's major settlement last month, in which it agreed to pay states up to $18 billion in damages.

These new statutes establish what Newsom described as the nation's leading safeguards, designed to shield young people from the potential dangers of social media and AI usage. They elevate corporate legal responsibilities for protecting children's well-being and prohibit minors under 16 from accessing certain "addictive" social media features.

Among the measures is Senate Bill 1119, which mandates that AI chatbots verify user ages, restrict minors' exposure to inappropriate content, and prohibit AI companies from advertising to minors. The bill's drafters and supporting child safety organizations, including Common Sense Media, say these protections are a direct response to recent lawsuits alleging that chatbots have exacerbated teen suicides and other instances of child harm.

Also known as the "Adam's Law," the measure is named after Adam Rien, a California teenager whose family says died by suicide following extensive conversations with ChatGPT about self-harm methods. His family has since filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, and his mother, Maria Rien, spoke at the signing ceremony on Thursday.

OpenAI voiced its support when the bill passed the California legislature late last month, after lawmakers added provisions clarifying when chatbots can "remember" prior conversations and retain minors' data with parental consent. Altman had reached out to Newsom before the legislature's vote, though OpenAI noted the two did not ultimately connect. Following the signing, OpenAI's global policy chief Chris Lehane stated the law "answers a desperate need from parents and creates the conditions for teenagers to succeed educationally," commending legislators for "leveraging the California platform to drive a leading law for the nation."

Meta also weighed in on Thursday. Company spokesperson Jim Kullinan remarked that the bill "is not perfect" but represents a "meaningful step" toward balancing AI's risks and benefits.

Another bill signed on Thursday, AB 1709, prohibits social media companies from offering personalized feeds (or "For You" pages) to children under 16, along with other features designed to prolong screen time, such as infinite scrolling and autoplay videos. The law still permits children to use social platforms with these features disabled. Additionally, it requires platforms to comply with California's AB 1043, passed last year, which mandates age verification for children.

Meta appeared to maintain a measured stance on this bill. Spokesperson Kullinan said in a statement that personalization is how the company "delivers age-appropriate and relevant content to teens while ensuring appropriate guardrails exist." According to recent filings, Meta, Google, Snap, and other social media giants neither publicly supported nor opposed AB 1709 but did lobby on the measure.

A third bill, AB 2, imposes fines of up to $1 million per child victim if tech platforms are found liable for inducing anxiety, depression, or other harms in minors. In certain cases, if courts determine that children or their families are entitled to substantial compensation, these fines could triple, meaning companies might face penalties exceeding $1 million per violation.

In total, Newsom signed 13 bills on Thursday related to youth online safety and privacy. One measure prevents schools from requiring kindergarten and transitional kindergarten students to take home devices like iPads or Google laptops, while another bans the sale of certain AI-enabled toys. Additional AI-related legislation awaits Newsom's signature, including several priorities for labor organizations. Newsom indicated more actions are coming early next week, saying "a lot of new rules will be landing in the data center space."