The Dispute Index

Newsom says child protection comes first

Gavin NewsomGovernor of California

Defended or excused

Newsom supports the child-safety package he signed, including restrictions on what the legislation defines as addictive social-media features for users under 16.

“Innovation comes with responsibility and protecting our children comes first.”

Official statement

Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Newsom signs child-safety chatbot and social-media legislationGovernor's statement; Banning addictive features on social media platforms; bill list

Original text

Read the original text (opens in a new tab)California AB 1709, chaptered textChapter 183; Business and Professions Code sections 22682-22686

Case updates

Want the next important update?

Follow this case and get an email when an important development changes the record.

Important updates only. Free. Confirm your email to start. Unsubscribe anytime. How we handle your email.

Social and messaging app icons on a smartphone lying on a wooden table.
Credit: mikemacmarketing / vpnsrus.com (CC BY 2.0)

Where this statement fits

Google, Meta and TikTok challenge California's under-16 feed and autoplay limits signed by Newsom

Google and YouTube, Meta, and TikTok filed separate challenges to California's AB 1709, raising First Amendment and Section 230 objections to restrictions on personalized feeds and autoplay for users under 16. Newsom signed it in September as a child-safety measure. The statute permits under-16 accounts without the covered features and otherwise requires deletion of under-16 accounts.

Read the full case

Source and context

Official statement

Newsom signs child-safety chatbot and social-media legislation (opens in a new tab)Governor's statement; Banning addictive features on social media platforms; bill list

About this source

Newsom defends the child-safety legislation he signed, including AB 1709. The release also addresses other bills, whose provisions should be kept distinct.

Archived copy (opens in a new tab)

Original text

California AB 1709, chaptered text (opens in a new tab)Chapter 183; Business and Professions Code sections 22682-22686

About this source

The enacted text prohibits covered platforms from providing defined addictive features to users under 16. It permits accounts without those features and sets age-assurance and enforcement rules.

Archived copy (opens in a new tab)

Before the quotation

Newsom's statement accompanied the signing of a package that included AB 1709 and separate chatbot, privacy and student-data bills.

After the quotation

The release describes a ban on addictive features for users under 16. Its bill list includes AB 1709, whose enacted text contains that ban. His statement predates the November lawsuits.

How this statement is classified

Defended or excused

The label describes this statement's response within the context above.

Why this label?

Newsom expressly endorses the safeguards being scrutinized in this case and signed AB 1709 into law.

Recorded on
Published here

More from this case

Read the full case

Share or embed this statement

Quote card: Gavin Newsom, Newsom says child protection comes firstDownload image (PNG)

The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.

Cite this record

Publisher
The Dispute Index
Title
Newsom says child protection comes first
First published
Last updated
Permalink
https://disputeindex.com/events/8287-newsom-supports-the-child-safety-package-he-signed

Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.

The Dispute Index. "Newsom says child protection comes first". First published: 2026-11-06. Last updated: 2026-11-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/8287-newsom-supports-the-child-safety-package-he-signed