Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) held a mock bill-signing ceremony with elementary-school children at the California State Capitol on Sept. 19, 2024 [1].
The event was designed to draw attention to a pending bill that would limit the use of algorithm-driven social-media feeds for minors. By involving children, the governor sought to illustrate the bill’s focus on protecting youth from addictive online content [3, 4].
During the ceremony in Sacramento, 12 children participated [3]. The students were asked to initial a mock version of the bill before reciting the alphabet together as a group [1].
Newsom said the event was a way to show children that they have a voice in the laws that affect them [2]. The governor linked the symbolic gesture to the broader goal of curbing the influence of predatory technology on young users.
"We want to protect kids from the addictive nature of endless scrolling, and that’s why this bill matters," Newsom said [3].
The mock signing served as a public relations effort to build momentum for the legislation before its formal enactment. The proposal specifically targets the "endless scrolling" mechanisms that keep minors engaged with platforms for extended periods [3, 4].
While the event focused on social media protections, some reports noted contradictions regarding the nature of the signing and the specific bills being addressed that day. However, the primary focus of this specific gathering remained the protection of minors in the digital space [1, 3].
“"We want to protect kids from the addictive nature of endless scrolling, and that’s why this bill matters."”
This event signals California's intent to lead the U.S. in regulating the 'attention economy' for minors. By targeting the algorithms rather than just the platforms, the state is attempting to disrupt the psychological loops, such as infinite scroll, that contribute to screen addiction. This approach sets a potential legal precedent that other states may follow to shift the burden of safety from the parent to the software developer.
