California enacts age-gate law for app stores

California became the newest state App stores and operating systems Age-Gate. AB 1043 is one of several internet regulation bills introduced by Governor Gavin Newsom I fell They went into effect Monday, including those related to social media warning labels, chatbots, and deepfake pornography.

Approved by the State Council A B 1043 By 58 votes to 0 in September. Legislation Received support Notable technology companies include Google, OpenAI, Meta, Snap, and Pinterest. The companies claimed that the bill offers a more balanced approach to age verification, with greater privacy protections, compared to laws passed in other states.

Contrary to legislation in Utah and TexasChildren will still be able to download apps without their parents’ consent. The law does not require people to upload photo ID either. Instead, the idea is that a parent will enter their child’s age while setting up the device for them, so it’s more of an age gate than an age verification. The operating system and/or app store will place the user in one of four age categories (under 13, 13-16, 16-18 or adult) and make this information available to app developers.

The enactment of AB 1043 means California joins the likes of Utah, Texas and Louisiana in requiring app stores to perform age verification (the UK has The age verification law is broad also in place). Apple has detailed how it plans to do this Comply with Texas lawwhich goes into effect on January 1, 2026. California’s legislation goes into effect one year later.

A B 56another bill Newsom signed Monday, would force social media services to display warning labels informing children and teens of the dangers of using such platforms. These messages will appear the first time a user opens the app each day, then after three hours of total usage and once every hour after that. This law will also come into effect on January 1, 2027.

Elsewhere, California will require AI chatbots to have guardrails to prevent self-harm content from surfacing and direct users who express suicidal thoughts to crisis services. Platforms will need to inform the Department of Public Health about how they deal with self-harm and share details about how often they display crisis center prevention notifications.

The legislation enters into force after lawsuits are filed against it OpenAI and Artificial intelligence character Regarding teenage suicide. OpenAI announced last month Plans To automatically identify teenage ChatGPT users and restrict their use of the chatbot.

In addition, SB 243 Marketing chatbots as healthcare professionals is prohibited. Chatbots will need to explain to users that they are not interacting with a person when they use such services, and are instead receiving artificial responses. Chatbot providers will need to remind minors of this at least every three hours.

Newsom also signed a deep porn bill into law. A B 621 It includes potentially harsher penalties for “third parties who knowingly facilitate or assist the distribution of non-consensual sexually explicit material.” The legislation allows victims to seek up to $250,000 for each “harmful violation” of the law.

In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 or you can simply call 988. The text crisis line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), CONNECT to 686868 (Canada) or Scream to 85258 (UK). Wikipedia maintains List of crisis lines For people outside those countries.