California's minor social media laws: How SB 976 and AB 56 reshape platform liability and youth-harm litigation

Short summary

California is building a two-part regulatory regime for minors on social media: SB 976 mandates parental consent, time caps, and notification limits for addictive feeds, while AB 56 requires Surgeon General-style mental health warnings. Proposals like AB 1709 would bar under-16 access entirely. These laws create evidentiary baselines that will reshape youth-harm litigation, making platform logs and parental control settings key evidence in future lawsuits.

• •California's SB 976 and AB 56 impose design requirements on platforms serving minors, including time caps and mental health warnings
• •Age-gating proposals like AB 1709 would restrict under-16 access, raising constitutional and privacy challenges
• •Statutory defaults will become litigation yardsticks, making platform logs and parental control settings key evidence in youth-harm cases

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