California passes online privacy act

The California Senate passed a bill Monday that would require online platforms to add more safeguards for users younger than 18. The act requires companies to default to the highest possible privacy protections and give an “obvious signal” to a minor when his location is being used. It also prohibits design tricks made to encourage minors to give away personal information. The Senate approval puts it on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. If he signs it, the bill would go into effect in 2024.

Are there any risks? Eric Goldman, a professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law, said in an op-ed in California’s Capitol Weekly that the requirement that the companies assess people’s ages to show age-appropriate content could be overly intrusive. The bill is based on similar legislation in the United Kingdom that may add stricter age-verification requirements for some websites deemed inappropriate for children. In the United States, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule already imposes restrictions on websites targeting children younger than 13.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson’s report in Relations on why the bill may undermine free speech protections.