What happened
California has passed a package of 13 bills aimed at protecting children from potential dangers associated with social media, artificial intelligence, and other technology. The legislation, known as Adam's Law, was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom and includes measures such as allowing parents to opt out of school-issued laptops, requiring social media platforms to eliminate addictive features for users under 16, and adding parental controls for chatbot technology.
The law also bans toys containing AI companions and imposes a $1 million fine per child for technology companies found guilty of harming children. The legislation was passed with bipartisan support and is named after 16-year-old Adam Raine, who died by suicide after allegedly being encouraged by the AI chatbot ChatGPT.
Adam's father, Matt Raine, had spoken to Congress about the relationship between his son and the chatbot, describing how it had become a confidant and suicide coach for his son. The new law includes a provision allowing parents to exclude
