Governor Gavin Newsom signed two significant pieces of legislation today aimed at protecting the financial well-being of children and teenagers featured in online content. The new laws, AB 1880 (Alanis) and SB 764 (Padilla), are designed to prevent financial abuse in the digital entertainment industry, particularly for child influencers. These measures have been championed by singer and activist Demi Lovato, who joined Newsom at the signing ceremony in Los Angeles.
The legislation focuses on ensuring that a portion of the earnings generated by child influencers on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram is set aside in trust accounts until they reach adulthood. SB 764 establishes financial and legal protections for minors featured in monetized online content by requiring parents or guardians to allocate a percentage of their child’s earnings into these trust accounts. AB 1880 expands the protections of the Coogan Law, which has safeguarded child performers in traditional media for decades, to now include minors working as content creators on social media. Under this law, at least 15 percent of a child’s gross earnings must be placed in trust until they come of age.
Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of updating legal protections to reflect the changes in the entertainment industry. He noted that while Hollywood has evolved, so too must the laws that protect young performers, ensuring that children in digital media are not exploited in the way child actors once were. Demi Lovato, speaking at the event, praised the legislation as a vital step in ensuring future protections for minors in the digital space, highlighting how important it is for children featured on social media to be compensated fairly for the use of their name and likeness.
Assembly member Juan Alanis, who authored AB 1880, acknowledged that the rise of child content creators has brought new challenges and that these young influencers deserve the same protections as their counterparts in traditional entertainment. He thanked Governor Newsom for addressing these issues and protecting the financial rights of minors.
Senator Steve Padilla, who introduced SB 764, echoed these sentiments, noting that the entertainment industry is rapidly changing, and laws must evolve to protect vulnerable young performers from financial abuse.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director, also expressed his support for the expanded protections. He emphasized that child performers, regardless of the platform, deserve strong safeguards against exploitation.
This legislative action is part of Governor Newsom’s broader efforts to protect children in the digital age. Recently, the governor signed other measures aimed at curbing the risks associated with social media and smartphones. These include new laws that prohibit platforms from delivering addictive content to minors without parental consent and limit the use of smartphones during school hours.
By signing these bills, Newsom is continuing California’s long-standing commitment to protecting children from exploitation, both in traditional entertainment and the evolving digital landscape.
