Overview of California SB 976
California Senate Bill 976, known as the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, was enacted in September 2024 to regulate social media platforms’ impact on minors. The law targets addictive design features, excessive notifications, and insufficient privacy protections for users under 18. Its implementation has been phased, with key provisions initially set for January 1, 2025, and age-verification requirements delayed until January 1, 2027. Legal challenges, including lawsuits from industry groups and tech companies, have shaped its enforcement timeline.
The law’s core objectives include prohibiting algorithmic feeds for minors without verifiable parental consent, restricting push notifications during late-night hours (12 am to 6 am) and school hours, mandating default privacy settings for minors, and requiring platforms to disclose user engagement metrics publicly.
Key Provisions and Their Legal Journey
The law’s provisions were structured in two phases. The first phase, originally scheduled for January 1, 2025, included restrictions on addictive feeds, push notifications, default privacy settings, and public disclosures of user metrics. The second phase, set for January 1, 2027, focuses solely on age-verification requirements to ensure minors cannot access platforms without parental consent.
Legal challenges significantly altered the law’s trajectory. In November 2024, NetChoice, representing major platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against the first set of provisions. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted the entire bill in January 2025 pending review.
By September 2025, the Ninth Circuit ruled 3–0 to uphold the district court’s decision, permitting the majority of SB 976 to take effect. Despite this, Meta, Google, and TikTok filed separate lawsuits in November 2025, arguing that the law violates the First Amendment. These ongoing legal battles continue to influence the law’s enforcement, particularly around notification restrictions and data transparency requirements.
Age-Verification and Parental Consent Requirements
One of the most contentious aspects of SB 976 is its age-verification mandate, scheduled to begin in January 2027. The law mandates that platforms obtain verifiable parental consent for users under 18, ensuring that children cannot bypass these safeguards.
This requirement reflects broader concerns about underage users being exposed to harmful content, predatory behavior, and excessive screen time without adequate oversight.
Impact on Social Media Platforms and User Privacy
Platforms must redesign their algorithms to eliminate addictive feed features for minors, adjust notification systems to comply with late-night and school-hour restrictions, and ensure default privacy settings prioritize user safety.
Ongoing Legal and Industry Responses
The law’s enforcement remains uncertain due to ongoing litigation. While the Ninth Circuit’s September 2025 ruling allowed most provisions to proceed, challenges from major tech companies—including Meta, Google, and TikTok—continue to test its constitutional validity. These lawsuits focus on First Amendment arguments, claiming that SB 976 infringes on platforms’ rights to curate content and communicate with users.
Others have adopted a wait-and-see approach, monitoring legal developments before making significant adjustments.
Broader Implications for AI and Digital Safety
SB 976 represents a pivotal moment in the regulation of AI-driven social media platforms, particularly in addressing their impact on young users. The law’s focus on algorithmic transparency, parental consent, and notification controls reflects growing concerns about the ethical design of digital environments.
The legal battles surrounding SB 976 underscore the complexity of balancing free expression, corporate responsibility, and public welfare in the digital age.
Required actions
- Do not provide addictive (personalised) feeds to known minors without parental consent; no notifications to minors overnight or during school hours - From 2027, use reasonable age assurance and apply protective defaults to minor accounts