California is considering legislation to restrict highly addictive features of social media for those under 16, citing issues such as infinite scrolling.
The California State Legislature is considering 'Assembly Bill 1709 (AB 1709),' a bill that would require target platforms to refrain from providing addictive feeds and autoplaying videos to users under the age of 16.
The infinite scroll may become endangered if controversial Calif. law passes
On many social media platforms, after you finish watching a short video, the next video automatically starts playing, and swiping your finger across the screen displays new posts without interruption. Infinite scrolling and autoplay are mechanisms that eliminate the need for users to decide to 'open the next page,' thus reducing the reasons for them to close the service.
AB 1709 points out that algorithmic content recommendations, infinite scrolling, autoplay, and notifications are designed to increase usage time. The state legislature explains that minors, in particular, are still developing their ability to control impulses and are easily influenced by the reactions and evaluations of those around them, making them highly susceptible to the addictive design.
California has already enacted legislation restricting the provision of 'addictive feeds' to minors without parental consent. Furthermore, the Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), which will enable operating systems and app stores to safely communicate the user's age to app developers, is scheduled to come into effect in January 2027. AB 1709 is a bill that utilizes existing age verification systems to prevent the provision of addictive features to those under 16, regardless of parental consent.
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An initial draft of AB 1709, introduced in February 2026 by State Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal, would have prohibited anyone under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts on targeted platforms that provide addictive feeds as a primary part of their service. However, this drew considerable caution due to privacy concerns related to age verification and the risk of isolating young people who need online interaction.
The revised version submitted after the consultations stipulates that if social networking service providers create accounts for users under 16 that do not offer addictive features, then users under 16 can still use the service and maintain a means of interacting with friends and communities. On the other hand, services that cannot accommodate this will need to delete accounts of users under 16.
The revised version explicitly lists 'dependent feeds,' which select posts based on usage history, as dependent features, as well as features that the California Attorney General may add to the rules. Infinite scrolling is also cited as an example of problematic design in the background explanation of the bill.
Businesses must use age verification systems to determine if users are under 16 years old and take reasonable measures to prevent the display of addictive features to those users. Intentional violations could result in civil penalties of up to $50,000 (approximately 8.1 million yen) per affected minor, while negligent violations could result in up to $25,000 (approximately 4.05 million yen). To support the Attorney General's implementation, if the bill passes, an e-Safety Advisory Commission will be established to investigate age verification technologies and their impact on privacy.
The bill is scheduled to be reviewed by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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