California’s New Rules for Kids’ Social Media: Josh Lowenthal on AI, Privacy and Surveillance
California Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal says the state should set stronger guardrails for technology—including social media platforms, artificial intelligence and surveillance tools—as lawmakers weigh their effects on children, workers and public privacy.
In an interview on The Jackie Rae Show, Lowenthal pointed to his experience as a former technology executive and a parent of three daughters as shaping his views on social media. He said platforms are designed to maximize engagement, while young users may be especially vulnerable to features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications and recommendation algorithms.
Lowenthal discussed AB 1709, which he described in the interview as a new law targeting what he called harmful, addictive social-media features for young people. He said the measure establishes an oversight commission and sets age 16 as a threshold for access to those features.
The interview transcript does not include the law’s full text or implementation details. Those specifics should be checked against the enacted bill and official state records before publication.
Lowenthal also called for stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence, citing concerns about chatbots’ interactions with children and automation’s potential effect on jobs. He argued that lawmakers should establish rules before emerging technologies become deeply embedded in daily life.
“We have to create regulation and guardrails that we all buy into,” Lowenthal said.
Want to contact Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal? You can do so here:
Or, Contact the Long Beach office at (562) 366-2769
Contact the Capitol Office (Sacramento) at (916) 319-2069
Follow him on YouTube @JoshLowenthalforCA
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