Two major bills moving through California’s legislature are drawing strong backlash over what many see as a growing pattern of state interference in digital life.
One bill would force social media platforms to display recurring warning labels, while another threatens to usher in surveillance of private AI chatbot conversations under the guise of public health.
Assembly Bill 56 has passed a second reading in the state Senate. If enacted, it would require platforms to show users a black-box style warning about the “harms” of prolonged social media use. These alerts would appear when a user first opens an app, again after three hours of activity, and once an hour after that.
Supporters claim the measure addresses concerns around mental health and digital addiction. “Shows that California remains committed to leading on the issues that matter most to our families,” said Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, who introduced the bill.
But technology trade groups such as TechNet, whose members include Meta and Snap, argue that these pop-ups would interfere with user experience and may set a precedent for expanding state control over online platforms.
Also advancing is Assembly Bill 243. This bill targets so-called “companion chatbots,” requiring companies that operate them to monitor conversations for mentions of suicide or self-harm.
The companies would have to track and report statistics about these interactions to the state’s Office of Suicide Prevention every year.
The only way to comply with the bill would be for companies to monitor user conversations continuously. That reality has raised fears that the state is on the verge of endorsing widespread surveillance of digital interactions under the label of safety.
The bill has cleared its second reading in the Assembly and now heads for a floor vote.
