“A.B. 1709 is a massive privacy and free speech nightmare.”
AB 1709 bans recommendation algorithms and basic features like follow lists for anyone under 16. To enforce that, platforms need to know everyone’s age, which means government ID or biometric scans for every adult user too. This is the standard move now: pass a bill “for the children” that strips privacy from the entire user base and doesn’t fix the problem it names. It’s sitting on Newsom’s desk waiting for a signature.