Newsom Signs Age Verification Law, Siding With Tech Giants Over Hollywood

SACRAMENTO, California — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a law requiring device-makers like Apple and Google to check users’ ages online, marking a win for tech companies that had rallied behind it in the face of opposition from Hollywood studios.

California’s age-checking law boasts rare buy-in from major tech firms including Google, Meta, OpenAI and Snap, unlike similar plans recently passed in deep-red Utah and Texas that sharply divided the industry. That unity may have also helped insulate California’s measure from a last-minute opposition campaign led by entertainment giants.

Now, with Newsom’s approval, the plan could become a national template for shielding kids from potentially inappropriate or harmful content without drawing Big Tech’s ire.

“We can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly — protecting our children every step of the way,” Newsom said in a statement while announcing multiple new online safety features Monday, including artificial intelligence chatbot controls and social media warning labels.

Democratic state Assemblymember Buffy Wicks argues her AB 1043 is more balanced and privacy protective than the age-checking laws passed in Utah and Texas. It doesn’t require parental consent for app downloads, nor does it require photo ID uploads — features other states and nations have pursued, despite resistance from privacy advocates.

Instead, the San Francisco Bay Area lawmaker’s bill asks parents to input their kids’ ages when setting up a smartphone, tablet or laptop, and then requires device-makers like Apple and Google to group users into one of four age brackets. Device-makers must make the information available to apps like Facebook and Instagram, and app developers must request ages for their users.

The Motion Picture Association, which represents major film studios including Amazon and Netflix, had urged Newsom to reject Wicks’ bill, claiming device-based age checks create confusion when parents and kids use separate streaming profiles under one account.

Wicks, however, argued her measure doesn’t prevent parents from creating kid-friendly streaming profiles. Wicks also previously said that she would work with the MPA and Netflix next year to explore new legislation addressing their concerns.