California’s New Law on Children’s Age Identification
On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a groundbreaking measure requiring operating systems and app stores to inform applications about users’ age ranges. This legislation represents a significant win for tech companies in their ongoing conflict with Hollywood regarding online child safety.
The bill, introduced by Democratic Representative Buffy Wicks, will raise age requirements for tech giants like Apple and Google starting on January 1, 2027. Additionally, it will impose civil penalties of up to $7,500 for each instance of non-compliance. Instead of requiring photo identification, parents will simply enter their child’s date of birth when setting up devices, and apps must then request this age information through an API.
Newsom emphasized the need to balance technological advancement with child safety, stating, “Children’s safety is not for sale.” Alongside this law, he also announced additional measures aimed at enhancing protection for kids online, such as guidelines for chatbots and warning labels for social media.
Wicks’ office has highlighted that major tech companies, including Google, Meta, and OpenAI, support this initiative, arguing that a universal privacy signal is preferable to differing regulations across states, which have led to legal challenges elsewhere.
However, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) opposed the bill, expressing concerns that the signals could disrupt existing streaming profiles on shared accounts. Various business groups, including NetChoice and the Chamber of Progress, have also criticized the law as unproven and a potential threat to privacy.
The new law mandates that operating systems provide a “reasonably consistent, real-time” indication of whether users fit within specified age groups. This measure aims to protect companies that make a good faith effort, even if incorrect age information is provided by parents. Developers are advised to treat this signal as the main age identifier for their apps.
