California Age Law Splits Tech Giants

Apple logo displayed on a glass building exterior.

California’s latest online safety law, Assembly Bill 1043, has ignited a divide among tech giants. While Google, Meta, Snap, and OpenAI support the legislation, Apple and major entertainment studios have voiced strong opposition.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on October 13, 2025, marking a major step in California’s efforts to protect children online. The law requires device makers like Apple and Google to collect users’ ages during device setup and share that data with apps in the form of age brackets.

Apple logo displayed on a glass building exterior.

Starting in 2026, every smartphone, tablet, and laptop sold in the state will prompt users to enter their age during setup. Apps like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok will then use that information to tailor content and restrict ads for younger users.

Why Big Tech is Divided

For companies like Google and Meta, the new system simplifies compliance with child safety regulations. They argue it provides a standardized approach to content moderation while avoiding the legal risks of stricter ID verification laws seen in Texas and Utah.

California’s law also shifts responsibility upstream, requiring device manufacturers—not app developers—to handle the initial verification step. This makes implementation more consistent across the industry and less burdensome for individual platforms.

However, Apple warns that device-level verification could put user privacy at risk. The company argues that sharing even age brackets across apps could expose personally identifiable information and create unnecessary data vulnerabilities.

Hollywood Joins Apple’s Opposition

Apple isn’t alone in pushing back. Hollywood studios, including Netflix and Amazon, also opposed the bill. They claim that device-based verification would confuse families using shared accounts and duplicate the parental controls already available on streaming platforms.

Despite those concerns, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who authored the bill, said the law balances child safety with user privacy and remains open to revisions in future sessions.

What Comes Next

The California Attorney General’s Office will oversee enforcement, ensuring companies follow the rules. Firms that fail to comply could face penalties.

For now, the law stands as a middle ground—less intrusive than other states’ regulations yet ambitious enough to reshape how tech companies manage user data. Whether Apple’s privacy concerns will prompt future changes remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: California has drawn a new line in the digital sand.

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