California AB 56 (Social Media Warnings)

California, United StatesCalifornia AB 56Updated October 22, 2026

100%became law
Bad for your rightsLaw
  1. Introduced
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Became Law

Signed October 2025; takes effect January 1, 2027; NetChoice sued October 22, 2026

Makes social media platforms show a state-written warning to every user each day, including a 30-second warning across most of the screen that cannot be skipped, unless the platform has worked out that the user is over 17.

Latest update

NetChoice sued in federal court to block the law before it takes effect

The bill

Read the full billOfficial bill record

Key facts

Where
California, United States
Bill number
California AB 56
Status
Law
Introduced
December 2, 2024
Threat
Medium
Last update
October 22, 2026

Topics

Censorship billsAge Verification bills

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What it does

AB 56 adds a Social Media Warning Law to the California Health and Safety Code. It covers the same “addictive” platforms as SB 976. Each day, the first time a user opens the platform, it must show a black box warning for at least 10 seconds, covering at least a quarter of the screen, unless the user closes it. After three hours of use in a day, the platform must show the warning again for 30 seconds, covering at least three quarters of the screen, with no way to skip it, and then at least once an hour. The state sets the text: “The Surgeon General has warned that while social media may have benefits for some young users, social media is associated with significant mental health harms and has not been proven safe for young users.” A platform does not have to show the warnings to a user it has “reasonably determined” is over 17. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

What’s at stake

The government writes the message and private platforms must carry it, which is compelled speech. A federal court blocked Colorado's similar law on that ground in November 2025. AB 56 also reaches adults: everyone gets the warnings unless the platform has sorted them by age. So the cheapest way for a platform to spare its adult users is to check everyone's age.

Our take

California wants every social media user to sit through state warnings, and the only way out is to prove you are an adult. That makes it a speech mandate and another push toward age ID checks for everyone.

Timeline

  1. Warning requirements take effectUpcoming

  2. NetChoice sued in federal court to block the law before it takes effectLatest

  3. Signed by Governor Newsom (Chapter 671, Statutes of 2025)

  4. Assembly agreed to Senate amendments 59-7

  5. Passed the Senate 30-5

  6. Passed the Assembly 50-0

  7. Introduced

The record

Sponsors

Asm. Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Asm. Buffy Wicks

Votes

  • Assembly: Third reading (50 to 0), May 29, 2025
  • Senate: Third reading (30 to 5), September 11, 2025
  • Assembly: Concurrence in Senate amendments (59 to 7), September 12, 2025

Legal challenges

NetChoice v. Bonta (AB 56)

NetChoice filed its complaint in the Central District of California on October 22, 2026 (No. 2:26-cv-12370). It argues the warnings are compelled speech that violates the First Amendment and asks the court to block the law before January 1, 2027. No ruling yet.