California Bill Would Force Social Media Redesign, Not Just Warnings

AB 1709, introduced by Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal, would require social media platforms to remove addictive features including infinite scroll and algorithmically ranked feeds. Unlike warning-label proposals, the bill mandates actual product engineering changes. California's market size means compliance would likely become a national standard, since platforms rarely maintain separate versions by state. Neither AB 1709 nor companion bill AB 56 has advanced to a floor vote.