Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Bills to Protect Children Online From AI

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On Oct. 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed seven bills related to children and cyber security, with many of them focused on regulating articifical intelligence, or AI. This included Assembly Bill 316, which prevents the developer of an AI from from being able to claim that an AI that harmed the user did it autonomously, and use that as a defense in a lawsuit.

Newsom also signed AB 853, which amends the California AI Transparency Act. The act was set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and would require anyone who makes an AI sytem with more than a million monthly visitors to have an AI detection tool. The purpose of this would be to alert users whether a photo or video was altered or created by AI.

AB 853 changes the act by delaying its implementation to Aug. 7, 2026, but also establishes stricter rules. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2027, websites with more than a million users will need to be able to detect and alert users to any available information about AI generated content, particularly who or what created it. It also prevents any such website from taking away a digital signature or any other identifying information from the content.

Other bills include stronger penalties for deepfake pornography, social media warning labels, and guidance to prevent cyber bullying. The full list of bills Newsom signed on Oct. 13 is below:

  • AB 56 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). Social media: warning labels.
  • AB 316 by Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento). Artificial intelligence: defenses.
  • AB 621 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). Deepfake pornography.
  • AB 772 by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach). Cyberbullying: off-campus acts: model policy.*
  • AB 853 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland). California AI Transparency Act.
  • AB 1043 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland). Age verification signals: software applications and online services.
  • SB 50 by Senator Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento). Connected devices: device protection requests.
  • SB 243 by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). Companion chatbots.