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<ns0:Id>20250AB__170998AMD</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>98</ns0:VersionNum>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-04</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-19</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>1709</ns0:MeasureNum>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Members Lowenthal, Alvarez, Bauer-Kahan, Bonta, Hoover, Muratsuchi, Patterson, and Wicks</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Coauthors: Assembly Members Arambula, Johnson, and Schiavo)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_OPPOSITE">(Coauthor: Senator Allen)</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Lowenthal</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Alvarez</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Bauer-Kahan</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Bonta</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
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<ns0:Name>Hoover</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Muratsuchi</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Patterson</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Wicks</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Arambula</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Johnson</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Schiavo</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Allen</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title>An act to add Chapter 22.9 (commencing with Section 22682) to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to business.</ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>business</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Covered platforms: account creation: age restriction.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p> Existing law, the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, prohibits an operator of an addictive internet-based service or application from providing an addictive feed, as defined, to a user unless the operator does not have actual knowledge that the user is a minor, as specified, or the operator has obtained verifiable parental consent to provide an addictive feed to the user who is a minor.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law, the Digital Age Assurance Act, beginning January 1, 2027, requires a person who owns, maintains, or controls a software application, as defined, to request age bracket data sent by a real-time secure application programming interface or
operating system with respect to a particular user from an operating system provider or a covered application store when the application is downloaded and launched.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would prohibit a covered platform from permitting a user who is under 16 years of age to create or maintain an account on the covered platform and would require a covered platform to implement reasonable measures to prevent users under 16 years of age from accessing or using accounts on the covered platform.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would impose an unspecified civil penalty upon a noncompliant platform and would require its provisions to be enforced by civil action brought only by the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a city attorney.</html:p>
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<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
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A substantial and growing body of research indicates that social media use by children under 16 years of age presents heightened risks, including exposure to harmful content, compulsive use patterns, exploitation, and adverse impacts on mental health and well-being.
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<html:p>
(b)
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Existing age-based restrictions that rely primarily on user self-attestation have proven ineffective and place an unreasonable burden on children and
families rather than on the entities that design, operate, and profit from social media platforms.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Chapter 22.9 (commencing with Section 22682) is added to Division 8 of the
<ns0:DocName>Business and Professions Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>22.9.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:LawHeadingText>Covered Platform Age Restriction</ns0:LawHeadingText>
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<ns0:Num>22682.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
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A covered platform shall not permit a user who is under 16 years of age to create or maintain an account on the covered platform.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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A covered platform shall implement reasonable measures to prevent users under 16 years of age from accessing or using accounts on the covered platform.
</html:p>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_C53C1359-B9FE-4416-B6D5-2C0259499D40">
<ns0:Num>22683.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
This chapter shall be enforced by a civil action brought only by the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a city attorney.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A covered platform that violates this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Up to ____ dollars ($____) per affected minor for a knowing violation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Up to ____ dollars ($____) per affected minor for a negligent violation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
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In assessing a civil penalty under this section, a court shall consider the size of the covered platform, the severity and duration of the violation, and the
covered platform’s good faith efforts to comply with this chapter.
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