California Law Prohibiting “Addictive Feeds” to Minors Upheld by Federal Judge
Late Tuesday evening, a federal judge made a significant ruling in favor of California’s recently enacted law, SB 976, which aims to protect minors from harmful online content. The tech lobbying group NetChoice’s challenge to the law was blocked, ensuring that companies will now be held accountable for serving addictive feeds to minors.
Effective immediately, companies operating in California are prohibited from serving addictive feeds to users they know to be minors without explicit parental consent. An addictive feed is defined as an algorithm that curates content based on user behavior rather than explicit preferences.
Looking ahead, starting January 2027, companies will be required to implement age assurance techniques to determine the age of users and adjust their feeds accordingly. This includes utilizing age estimation models to ensure compliance with the law.
In response to the legal challenge by NetChoice, which represents major tech companies like Meta and Google, the judge denied an injunction to stop SB 976 but did block certain provisions, such as restrictions on nighttime notifications for minors. This decision marks a significant step towards protecting young individuals from harmful online content.
It is worth noting that New York also passed similar legislation in June, indicating a growing trend towards regulating online content to safeguard the well-being of minors.
