California enacts Adam's Law in 13-bill package on AI chatbots and child online safety

Under SB 1119, operators of companion chatbots must either determine whether a user is under 18 or apply the law's child protections to everyone, according to the bill text. For minors, default settings cap a session at one hour and daily use at two hours, persistent conversational memory is disabled by default for younger users, and cross-context behavioral advertising is prohibited. Operators must conduct risk assessments and maintain crisis protocols for suicide and self-harm content.

Public prosecutors can seek up to $5,000 per affected child for negligent violations and $15,000 for intentional ones, and families can sue over actual harm. Independent safety audits begin in 2029, with operators under $500 million in annual revenue exempt until 2032.

The law is named for Adam Raine, a California teenager who died by suicide in 2025. Fortune reported that OpenAI negotiated with the bill's authors and said it supports the final version. The package also includes SB 867, which bars making or selling toys for children under 16 that contain companion chatbots until Jan. 1, 2031, along with measures on addictive social media features and platform liability.