California · Meta · Calif · sfgate.com
The infinite scroll may become endangered if controversial Calif. law passes
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Social media companies might soon be forced to remove the addictive features that keep teenagers online for hours on end, including the ubiquitous infinite scroll.
Key facts
- Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, a Democrat from Long Beach, initially introduced Assembly Bill 1709 in February as a proposal that would prohibit children under 16 from using social media platforms
- Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1:30 p.m., July 13, to clarify that the California bill would apply to children under 16
- When SFGATE asked whether Meta’s $65 million spent on lobbying efforts in California impacted his choice to back off a full ban, Lowenthal said the bill changes were not directly because of requests
- Marc Berkman, the CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety and a supporter of the bill, told SFGATE in a phone call this week that the U.S. is “lagging” in providing protection for young users
Summary
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, a Democrat from Long Beach, initially introduced Assembly Bill 1709 in February as a proposal that would prohibit children under 16 from using social media platforms that are designed to be dangerously addictive. So, last month, Lowenthal amended his bill to instead require the companies, including behemoths like Meta and Reddit, to come up with an alternative, less addictive feed for underage users. “We’re not banning kids from riding skateboards when we tell them to use a helmet,” Lowenthal told SFGATE in a phone call last week. The bill text defines an “addictive feature” as “psychologically exploitative features intended to maximize engagement that foreseeably lead to compulsive use.” Under the revised proposal, companies will have until 2028 to adjust their platforms, Lowenthal said in a call with SFGATE.