California governor signs new minors privacy and safety laws

What happened

The Age‑Appropriate Design Code is revised to align with the new requirements.

Why it matters

Platforms that serve California users will need to redesign age‑gating and content‑delivery processes to avoid non‑compliance, mirroring similar obligations emerging in other U.S. states.

Business impact

Non‑compliant platforms risk enforcement actions by the California Attorney General and may face civil penalties, while compliant firms can avoid costly retrofits later.

What to check

1. 1

   implement age‑verificationHigh priority

   Deploy reliable age‑assurance mechanisms to block users under 16 from accessing restricted features.

2. 2

   disable prohibited featuresHigh priority

   Identify and restrict any interactive or data‑intensive features that the new law bars for under‑16 users.

3. 3

   establish duty‑of‑care policiesMedium priority

   Document risk‑assessment and mitigation procedures for harms to minors in line with the new statutory duty.

4. 4

   update design code complianceMedium priority

   Align product design and privacy notices with the revised Age‑Appropriate Design Code.