The home of the world’s highest-flying social media companies is considering a measure to clip their wings.
A bipartisan bill in California would establish a minimum age requirement for social media accounts, curtailing the access of minors to platforms such
as TikTok, Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube and Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram. The bill’s author, Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, says he’s looking to bar anyone under 16.
The proposed rules — which would rank among the toughest in the world — are setting up a clash between prominent Democrats and some of Silicon Valley’s
most powerful companies. Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential presidential contender in 2028, backs the bill. The proposed restrictions have also drawn interest from two of his would-be successors as governor: liberal billionaire Tom Steyer and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, darling of Silicon Valley’s elite.
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“The fact that the most moderate and most progressive candidates for governor support delaying social media access proves the policy isn’t ideological,” Lowenthal said. “It’s common sense and long overdue.”
The bill’s prospects of passing as is are murky. Meta declined to comment on the legislation, citing a lack of details. Representatives for Ti
Tok, Alphabet, Snap Inc. and Elon Musk’s X didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The California bill is fueling a broader debate with ramifications for politics and privacy. It’s also ramping up pressure just as Meta and Google have been attr
acting scrutiny during a high-profile trial over social media addiction in Los Angeles.
While Meta has a rule to keep children under 13 off Instagram, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg testified last month that enforcing the limit is “very
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difficult” because children often lie about their ages. In arguing against other bans, social-media companies have pointed to significant technological hurdles.
The proposed California restrictions would mirror a policy that was recently implemented in Australia. Similar curbs are also gaining traction in Europe, where regulators have called such services harmful and addictive.
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In the U.S., however, age restrictions would be legally vulnerable on free-speech grounds, said Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University.
Referring to concerns over mental health and excessive phone use, Goldman said “there are so many ways we can address that problem, all that are less than a ban.”
Courts have temporarily blocked similar attempts to set age restrictions in states including Utah, Georgia and Virginia. Florida has been allowed to enforce its ban on social media accounts for children under 14 while a legal battle continues.
NetChoice, a trade group that represents tech companies including Meta, TikTok and Google, has battled state social media restrictions in court. Zach Lilly, the group’s director of government affairs, said states should focus on educating parents on safety settings and healthier screen time habits rather than pushing “cartoonishly unconstitutional” age-verification laws.
