Two controversial tech-related bills have cleared the California legislature and now await decisions from Governor Gavin Newsom, setting the stage for a potentially significant change in how social media and AI chatbot platforms interact with their users.
Both proposals raise red flags among privacy advocates who warn they could normalize government-driven oversight of digital spaces.
The first, Assembly Bill 56, would require social media companies to display persistent mental health warnings to minors using their platforms.
Drawing from a 2023 US Surgeon General report, the legislation mandates that platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat show black-box warning labels about potential harm to youth mental health.
The alert would appear for ten seconds at login, again after three hours of use, and once every hour after that.
Supporters, including Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Attorney General Rob Bonta, claim the bill is necessary to respond to what they describe as a youth mental health emergency.
Critics of the bill argue it inserts state messaging into private platforms in a way that undermines user autonomy and treats teens as passive recipients of technology, rather than individuals capable of making informed choices.
Newsom has until October 13 to sign or veto the measure.
Hellbound and Down 