OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 45 attorneys general on Wednesday to support Senate bill S. 1748, which imposes a duty of care on social media companies to protect children under 18. The legislation preserves state authority to enact laws providing greater protections for children than federal law.

Bonta said "federal action is critical to keep kids safe online." "Children nationwide need leaders who will step in when social media companies prioritize profits over commonsense consumer protections."

The Senate bill differs from House bill H.R. 6484, which includes preemption language that could impair state laws protecting children online. "The Senate’s KOSA legislation creates a federal floor of baseline protections states can build off of, while still allowing states like California to have stronger safeguards in place," Bonta said. "California has led the effort to protect children online, and we welcome federal action that puts kids at the forefront," he said.

California's enforcement action against TikTok alleges the company designed features known to be psychologically and physically harmful to keep young users returning. Excessive online time is associated with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and addiction, and the severity of symptoms increases for every additional hour spent online.