New Law Targets Impact of Digital Platforms on Youth
Governor Gavin Newsom has approved a pioneering California law that forces social media companies to alert minors to the mental health dangers associated with excessive platform use. The measure, which applies to leading apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, is the first in the nation to treat social media risks with the same gravity as public health concerns.
Usage-Triggered Health Notices for Young Users
Under the legislation, minors will see a 10-second skippable warning upon their first daily login, followed by an unskippable 30-second message after three hours of continuous use. The alerts, which will reappear each subsequent hour, must state that social media use poses “profound risks to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents,” echoing wording from the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory.
Part of Broader Youth Online Safety Initiative
This measure joins a suite of new laws intended to strengthen protections for children online. Additional policies include mandatory age verification, stricter oversight of AI tools engaging with minors, and penalties for distributing manipulated or explicit digital content. With these changes, California is positioning itself at the forefront of nationwide efforts to regulate technology companies and mitigate the growing mental health challenges linked to digital media use.
