AB-1700 • 2026

e-Safety Commission: youth online protection.

Children Technology

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Lowenthal (A) , Alvarez (A) , Bauer-Kahan (A) , Bonta (A) , Hoover (A) , Muratsuchi (A) , Patterson (A) , Wicks
Last action: 2026-03-23
Official status: Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on how the e-Safety Commission will operate or what actions it can take against noncompliant companies.

e-Safety Commission: youth online protection

This law establishes the e-Safety Commission to develop guidelines for age verification on devices and apps, review technologies used for age assurance, and investigate noncompliance.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a new group called the e-Safety Commission to help protect young people online by setting rules about age verification.
The commission will create minimum age compliance guidelines for companies that need to check if users are old enough to use their services.
It requires the commission to review technologies used to verify ages and establish procedures for investigating noncompliance with these guidelines.

Who It Names or Affects

Young people who use technology and apps
Companies that provide devices, apps, or social media platforms

Terms To Know

e-Safety Commission: A new group created by the law to protect young people online.
Age verification: Checking if someone is old enough to use certain apps or services.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the commission will work with other laws.
It's unclear what specific actions the commission can take against companies that don't follow the rules.

Bill History

2026-03-23 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2026-03-19 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-19 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2026-02-04 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 6.
2026-02-03 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1700, as amended, Lowenthal.
eSafety commission:
e-Safety Commission: youth
online protection.
Existing law, the Digital Age Assurance Act, requires, beginning January 1, 2027, an operating system provider to provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an accountholder to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the user of that device for the purpose of providing a signal regarding the user’s age bracket to applications available in a covered application store, among other things related to providing a uniform system for obtaining age information about a user of certain software applications. Existing law defines “user” for these purposes to mean a child that is the primary user of the device.
This bill would establish the
e-Safety Commission, as specified, and would require the commission to develop minimum age compliance guidelines for covered entities, as defined, review age assurance technologies used to implement the minimum age verification, and establish procedures for noncompliance investigations. The bill would require, on or before January 1 of each year, the commission to report to the Legislature and the Governor on its activities pursuant to the bill, as specified.
Existing law regulates social media platforms by requiring, among other things, those platforms to provide a clear and conspicuous button that enables the user to delete their account.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation related to the establishment of an eSafety commission, modeled after a similar entity in Australia and having responsibility for online protection.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF