Existing law establishes the Department of Consumer Affairs to, among other things, protect consumer interests and regulate specified businesses. Existing law requires a business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by children to comply with specified requirements, including configuring all default privacy settings provided to children to settings that offer a high level of privacy. Existing law prohibits an operator of an internet website, online service, online application, or mobile application directed to minors from marketing or advertising specified products or services to a minor.

This bill would enact the California Children’s Digital Educational Content Act of 2026, which would require a covered platform, as defined, to establish and maintain a walled garden. The bill would define a walled garden as a clearly designated and easily accessible section of a platform that is dedicated exclusively to educational children’s content, as defined. The bill would require a walled garden to meet certain requirements, including that it be free from targeted advertising and be accessible to minors without an account. The bill would authorize the department to adopt regulations to implement these provisions.

The bill would require a covered platform to annually submit a compliance report to the department and would authorize the department to conduct audits. The bill would impose specified administrative penalties for violation of its provisions.