AB 1709: Covered platforms: age restriction: e-Safety Advisory Commission.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

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.

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.

This bill would prohibit a covered platform, as defined, from providing an addictive feature, as defined, to a user who is under 16 years of age and would require a covered platform to implement reasonable measures to ensure that users under 16 years of age are not offered or provided any addictive feature on the covered platform. The bill would also authorize the Attorney General to adopt regulations to implement and enforce the bill in order to further the purpose of protecting minors online, including by altering the scope of “covered platform” if the Attorney General determines that doing so is necessary to ensure that “covered platform” applies to internet websites, online services, online applications, or mobile applications that make addictive features, as defined, available to users under 16 years of age.

This bill would impose a civil penalty upon a noncompliant platform and would require its provisions to be enforced by a civil action brought only by the Attorney General or a local public prosecutor, as specified.

This bill would also establish the e-Safety Advisory Commission within the Department of Justice as an independent advisory body that is only for administrative purposes to advise state government on certain matters related to online safety and would require the commission to, on or before January 1 of each year, report to the Legislature and the Governor on, among other things, its activities under the bill.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 39 · Republican 9

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 10, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 183, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 10, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. September 9, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1 p.m.
4. August 31, 2026Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 7003.).
5. August 31, 2026In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. August 31, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
7. August 30, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. August 28, 2026Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9. August 17, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
10. August 13, 2026Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
11. August 13, 2026From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (August 13).
12. August 3, 2026In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.