Should be 18....

Newsom backs social media restrictions for teens under 16

The California governor joins a growing chorus of politicians calling for social media age limits.

By Tyler Katzenberger and Christine Mui

California Gov. Gavin Newsom stepped into the fight over age limits on social media Thursday, saying he wants state legislation that would restrict access to the powerful online platforms for teens under 16.

In a policy position shared first with POLITICO, Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos said that the Democratic governor supports passing age-gating rules inspired by those Australia began enforcing last year, which bar teens under 16 from having social media accounts. Her comments came minutes after Newsom told reporters that “we have to address this issue” of teenagers’ chronic use of social media.

“We need help. I think it’s long overdue that we’re having the debate,” Newsom said, when asked about age-gating during a press conference near San Francisco. “It is something that I’m very grateful that we are debating and pursuing at the state level.”

With his remarks, the governor moved a step ahead of a bipartisan group of state lawmakers who this month introduced legislation that calls for “a minimum age requirement to open or maintain a social media account.” His comments mark a notable break from the governor’s typical reluctance to weigh in on pending legislation before it reaches his desk.

Lawmakers are debating the age limit to include in the legislation. The bill’s lead author, Long Beach Democrat Josh Lowenthal, previously said he’s leaning toward setting the cutoff at 16.

In staking out his position, Newsom joins a growing group of high-profile politicians arguing for the need to restrict access to Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and other social media platforms that draw billions of daily users and have upended how people interact. The call for age limits has gained momentum since Australia put its ban in place, citing a growing body of research that the platforms can be addictive and harmful to teens’ mental health.

When asked whether the governor would specifically support an outright ban on social media accounts for teens under 16 — as Australia has done — Gallegos said that was still in flux.

Newsom’s comments Thursday follow recent overseas trips he made to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland and the Munich Security Conference. The governor said he directly discussed social media age limits in meetings with world leaders, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Spain and Malaysia are exploring Australia-style bans, while officials in France, Denmark and Italy are mulling a ban for kids under 15. On Wednesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled he may back a proposal to restrict access for kids under 14 — an idea that’s gained steam back in the U.S., where bipartisan members of Congress are pushing a 13-and-under ban.

Newsom previously touched on the issue during his State of the State address in January, in which he called on state lawmakers to explore stronger youth social media controls. During the speech, he questioned if California could “do more” following Australia’s social media ban.

Even with the governor’s support, proposals to legally cut off teens’ access to social media are likely to spark fierce pushback from tech giants. Google, TikTok and Meta, which owns Facebook, are currently suing to block a 2024 state law that requires parental consent before minors view personalized content feeds, arguing it infringes on free speech.

Tech industry group NetChoice, which lists Meta, Google and TikTok as members, has also indicated it may challenge two California social media laws passed last year: one requiring platforms to show minors health warning labels, and another requiring device-makers like Apple and Google to collect user ages.

The same group of state lawmakers behind California’s age-gating bill also recently introduced legislation that would create an independent “eSafety Commission” to enforce digital platform regulations, modeled on a similarly named Australian agency. Newsom has not said whether he supports the measure.