EFF Urges Newsom to Veto California's Sweeping Social Media Ban for Teens
EFF to Governor Newsom: Veto California's AB 1709
California's legislature passed AB 1709, a bill that would effectively ban social media for under-16s by stripping out recommendation algorithms and basic input like follows and likes. The EFF calls it a 'massive privacy and free speech nightmare,' arguing it cuts off vulnerable youth from essential online communities, forces invasive age verification like government IDs or biometric scans, and conflicts with existing state laws. The EFF urges Governor Newsom to veto the measure, citing research that such bans are ineffective and harmful.
Denying young people access to digital forums (or stripping out the basic tools needed to navigate them) does nothing to make young people safer or healthier.