California Enacts Youth Social Media Addiction Law

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, which aims to curb social media addiction among minors by prohibiting online platforms from providing 'addictive feeds' without parental consent starting in 2027. The law also restricts notifications to minors during school hours and late at night, and sets minors' accounts to private by default. The legislation defines 'addictive feed' as content recommended based on user data and mandates annual reporting of minors' usage and parental consents. This initiative follows similar laws in New York and Utah, with the goal of mitigating the negative effects of social media on children's mental health. Critics argue the law could impede adult access to content and raise privacy concerns due to increased data collection requirements. The bill reflects a broader national effort to address the mental health impacts of social media on youth.