Adoption of the law to protect teenagers from online addictive content

A judge has allowed California’s ban on addictive feeds for minors to go into effect. Late Tuesday night, a federal judge blocked tech lobby group NetChoice’s challenge to a new California law barring companies from serving addictive feeds to minors.

The effect of the decision is that starting Wednesday, companies will be prohibited from serving an addictive feed to a California-based user they know is underage, except with express parental consent, according to Tekna Tech News Media Health Service. It defines an addictive feed as an algorithm that selects and recommends content to users based on their behavior rather than their explicit preferences.

The law specifically focuses on algorithms that suggest content based on a user’s past interactions rather than conscious choices. These types of algorithms can lead to platform addiction and spending too much time by users, especially teenagers.

Starting in January 2027, companies will be required to use age assurance techniques, such as age estimation models, to determine whether a user is underage and adjust their feed accordingly. These techniques are designed to more accurately identify underage users and impose restrictions on them. In November, NetChoice, whose members include Meta, Google and X, filed a lawsuit to block the full implementation of the law, arguing that it violates the First Amendment.

The judge denied the request for a temporary restraining order but blocked other elements of the law, including a restriction on nightly notifications to minors. This means that some aspects of the law have been put on hold for further review.

This court decision illustrates the legal complexities involved in regulating online content for minors and the balance between their protection and free speech rights. This is especially important for technology companies that face the challenge of providing the right content for a wide range of users. To see other news, refer to Tekna Media’s medical news service.