California's lawmakers are approaching the passing of social media restrictions for those under 16yrs old, Washington Post reports; measures that would be among the most strict in the US

California's lawmakers are approaching the passing of social media restrictions for those under 16yrs old, Washington Post reports; measures that would be among the most strict in the US.

State-level age restrictions on social media follow a now-familiar legislative pattern: bills pass with fanfare, then face immediate constitutional challenge on First Amendment and commerce grounds, and a large share of comparable measures have been enjoined or narrowed before taking effect. The operative distinction is between laws that mandate age verification and parental consent, which courts have treated skeptically, and narrower design or content rules, which have fared somewhat better. California carries more weight than smaller states given the size of its user base and its history of setting de facto national standards in tech regulation, which platforms often adopt globally rather than fragment their product. For the ad-supported platforms, the transmission channel is the under-16 cohort's contribution to engagement and future user pipeline rather than current revenue, since that demographic is lightly monetized directly. Worth noting is that the headline describes approach, not passage: the tells are the final bill text, the effective date, and the speed of industry litigation, which on prior form arrives quickly and shapes what actually binds.