CaliforniaOnline platforms: educational children's content.
What it does
Existing law establishes the Department of Consumer Affairs to, among other things, protect consumer interests and regulate specified businesses. Existing law requires a business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by children to comply with specified requirements, including configuring all default privacy settings provided to children to settings that offer a high level of privacy. Existing law prohibits an operator of an internet website, online service, online application, or mobile application directed to minors from marketing or advertising specified products or services to a minor.
More detail
This bill would enact the California Children's Digital Educational Content Act of 2026, which would require a covered platform, as defined, to establish and maintain a walled garden. The bill would define a walled garden as a clearly designated and easily accessible section of a platform that is dedicated exclusively to educational children's content, as defined. The bill would require a walled garden to meet certain requirements, including that it be free from targeted advertising and be accessible to minors without an account. The bill would authorize the department to adopt regulations to implement these provisions.
The bill would require a covered platform to annually submit a compliance report to the department and would authorize the department to conduct audits. The bill would impose specified administrative penalties for violation of its provisions.
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 9In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.Latest
- Mar 23Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.Minor
- Mar 19From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 19Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and B. & P.Minor
- Feb 21From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
- Feb 20Read first time. To print.Introduced