Newsom Forces Apple And Google To Track Kids’ Ages Under New California Law

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a first-in-the-nation law that forces operating systems and app stores to pass along users’ age brackets to apps — a win for Big Tech over Hollywood in a year-long fight over how to police kids online.

The Digital Age Assurance Act, carried by Democratic Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, pushes age-gating up the stack to Apple, Google and other OS makers starting Jan. 1, 2027, with civil penalties up to $7,500 per child for willful violations. It avoids photo-ID uploads and instead has parents enter a birth date at device setup; apps must request the resulting age signal via API. (RELATED: Online Censorship Bill Just One Signature Away From Becoming Law In California)

“We can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly — protecting our children every step of the way. Our children’s safety is not for sale.” Newsom said in announcing a package that also adds chatbot guardrails and social-media warning labels.

Chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect, but they can also exploit, mislead, and endanger our kids.

That’s why I’m signing legislation to strengthen the state’s current protections for children online and create safeguards for emerging technology like AI.

— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) October 13, 2025

Wicks’ office has touted rare backing from major platforms — Google, Meta, OpenAI, Snap and Pinterest among them — arguing a uniform, privacy-preserving signal beats state-by-state ID checks and parental-consent mandates that have triggered lawsuits elsewhere.

Studios took the opposite view. The Motion Picture Association pressed Newsom to block the bill, warning device-level signals could scramble existing streaming profiles on shared accounts, according to SFGate. Business groups including NetChoice and Chamber of Progress also urged a veto, calling the scheme unproven and risky for privacy.

The law requires OS providers to expose a “reasonably consistent real-time” interface indicating whether a user falls into prescribed age bands and gives companies acting in good faith a safe harbor if a parent inputs the wrong age, according to the Senate Judiciary analysis. Developers must treat the signal as the primary age indicator.