California Enacts Tough AI and Social Media Safeguards for Minors

California signs a major tech-safety package for minors, including AB 1709 which bars infinite scroll and autoplay for under-16s, requires risk assessments for AI chatbots with parental controls and crisis protocols, and imposes up to $1 million per harmed child. The laws update AI-generated imagery rules, offer opt-out options for school-issued laptops, and establish the strongest U.S. companion-chatbot regulations named after Adam Raine. The move signals a broader global push for AI guardrails, coming after a Meta teen-harm settlement, though critics worry it could cut minors off from digital life.