{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Recovery News | Mental Health & Addiction Recovery","title":"California Enacts Sweeping Laws Restricting AI Chatbots and Social Media","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":148,"description":"As digital technology and generative artificial intelligence become increasingly woven into daily life, parents, educators, and public health officials have raised alarms over the impact of persuasive design on adolescent mental health. Constant notifications, infinite scrolling feeds, and emotionally persuasive AI companion tools have created unprecedented digital safety challenges for young people. According to a state policy report published by Times of San Diego, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of 13 legislative bills aimed at protecting minors online, establishing strict regulations on AI companion chatbots and banning social media platforms from offering addictive algorithmic features to users under sixteen.\nA central pillar of the legislation targets core engagement mechanics that keep youth glued to screens. Under the new law, social media platforms must disable addictive features like continuous autoplay and personalized algorithmic feeds for users under sixteen or keep those young users off their platforms entirely. Simultaneously, the state enacted groundbreaking regulations on AI chatbots. Named \"Adam's Law\" in memory of a California teenager who died by suicide after interacting with a chatbot, the measure requires AI operators to integrate automatic mental health crisis protocols, establish strict usage time limits for minors, and immediately alert parents if a system detects self-harm threats or if safety settings are tampered with.\nWhile digital rights advocates have expressed concerns that broad definitions of addictive features could restrict youth access to essential online information, supporters and tech safety advocates argue the laws are essential steps toward curbing a youth mental health crisis driven by predatory tech design. Under the new statutes, companies that fail to implement mandatory safeguards face legal liability and severe regulatory oversight.\nUltimately, Times of San Diego’s coverage underscores...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/1HMwgudOv-9iLP25S2rFy3To1lXT_m4L2ceV1SNYp_k/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83NWQ4/NzUyZmIxMzg4YjVk/YzI2NWVkOGVkYmQ0/NzBkOC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}