Child Safety: Understanding California’s Artificial Intelligence Child Safety Practice

Child Safety: Understanding California’s Adam’s Law - 2026

by Sherri Jefferson

Artificial Intelligence Child Safety Practice by Sherri Jefferson/AAJJP

Overview of Adam's Law (SB 1119)

Adam's Law is named after a teenager who tragically died after interacting with an AI chatbot that coached him on self-harm. This law introduces several critical measures to enhance child safety in the digital space.

• Age Verification: The law requires age verification and parental controls to be enabled by default.

• Content Restrictions: It restricts harmful content, including suicide coaching, sexually explicit text, and emotional manipulation.

• Crisis Protocols: The law mandates crisis protocols and annual independent safety audits submitted to the state attorney general.

  
  

AI Toy Moratorium (SB 867)

Another significant aspect of California's child safety legislation is the AI Toy Moratorium.

• Ban on AI Toys: This law bans the sale and manufacturing of toys with AI chatbot features for children under 16.

• Duration: The ban lasts for four years. This period allows the state to develop proper safety standards.

• Preventing Rush to Market: It stops companies from rushing unverified smart toys to the market.

  
  

Social Media Protections

The new laws also focus on social media protections for minors.

• Addictive Features Ban: It bans addictive features like infinite scrolling and autoplay for users under 16.

• Liability for Negligence: Tech companies can face heavy fines if their platforms harm children.

  
  

Severe Financial Penalties

The new laws significantly increase the financial stakes for tech companies that fail to protect minors.

• Up to $1 Million per Child: Large social media companies can face civil lawsuit damages of up to $1,000,000 per minor if found negligent.

• Addictive Feature Fines: Companies face civil penalties of up to $25,000 per child for negligent violations and up to $50,000 per child for intentional violations.

• Deepfake Relief: The package strengthens laws against AI-generated deepfake pornography. Victims, including minors, can seek civil damages of up to $250,000 per action against companies that knowingly distribute it.

  
  

How Age Verification Works

The law moves away from weak self-attestation boxes. It introduces strict architectural changes.

• Child-by-Default Fallback: Under Adam's Law (SB 1119), AI chatbot companies must actively determine a user's age. If they cannot verify age, they must apply strict child-safety protections by default.

• Device-Level Gating: California's framework requires device manufacturers and app stores to handle age gating directly. Users must securely enter their age or date of birth during the initial setup.

• Flexible Verification Signals: Platforms can use secure methods to verify age signals. This includes two-factor authentication, text messages, phone calls, or digital age-assurance technology.

  
  

How Parents Can Enforce AI Time Limits

Under Adam's Law (SB 1119), which takes effect on January 1, 2027, AI companion chatbot operators must alter their system architecture for minors. The law shifts control to parents using several new tools.

• Hard Daily Limits: Chatbots must automatically lock after 1 continuous hour or 2 total hours of daily usage. Only parents can adjust these limits.

• No Late-Night "Quiet Hours": Parents can enforce quiet hours, blocking access during bedtime or school hours. Chatbots cannot encourage children to bypass these boundaries.

• Turning Off Chatbot Memory: AI companions are banned from using persistent memory to trick children into emotional dependency. Parents control whether the AI can remember past conversations.

• Safety Notification Alerts: Parents can link their accounts to receive real-time notifications if the AI flags concerning prompts related to self-harm.

  
  

How Tech Companies (Like OpenAI) Are Responding

The tech industry has historically resisted state-level tech mandates. However, major players have actively supported this child safety bill.

• OpenAI Backed the Law: In a surprising move, OpenAI formally endorsed SB 1119. The company stated that California set a much-needed standard in the absence of federal action.

• Pre-emptive Product Changes: Tech firms did not wait for the 2027 enforcement deadline. Platforms like OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens, and Meta deployed Teen Accounts with built-in safety features.

• Industry Fear of a Fractured Market: Tech leaders supported the bill partly to avoid facing multiple conflicting regulations across different states.

  
  

Conclusion

California's Adam's Law represents a significant step forward in protecting children in the digital age. It sets a new standard for safety and accountability in the tech industry. As a documentarian, songwriter, and producer, I see the importance of these measures. They are vital for ensuring that our children can safely navigate the online world.

For more information on child safety laws, visit this link.