By Sally Vazquez-Castellanos, Esq.
Published on December 27, 2025 at 8:31 p.m.
In the 2025 legislative session, California continued to shape tech policy with a sweeping set of privacy and artificial intelligence laws signed by Governor Gavin Newsom—while also vetoing six measures that would have expanded protections in key areas. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) provides a detailed legislative overview of these developments, underscoring California’s dual role as a laboratory for data privacy rights and AI governance.
Major Privacy and Consumer Protection Laws Signed
Browser Opt-Out Requirement (AB 566): Requires web browsers to support universal opt-out mechanism like Global Privacy Control, enabling users to opt out of data sale/sharing with a single preference setting rather than on a site-by-site basis.
Algorithmic Pricing Transparency (AB 325): Extends California’s antitrust law to prohibit use of shared pricing algorithms in ways that restrain trade.
Data Broker Enhancements (SB 361): Strengthens registration disclosures and introduces a state-wide data removal platform to streamline deletion requests; includes future third-party audits.
Social Media Account Deletion (AB 656): Mandates social platforms offer clear account deletion mechanisms free from deceptive design.
AI and Algorithm Governance
Companion Chatbot Standards (SB 243): Establishes labeling and safety protocols for interactive chatbots, including periodic notifications to minors and protocols to reduce harmful outputs.
Frontier AI Transparency (SB 53): Creates requirements for developers of large AI models to adopt and publish safety measures and report critical safety incidents to state authorities; includes whistleblower protections.
Liability for AI Harms (AB 316): Bars entities from using the autonomy of AI as a defense for harm caused by AI outputs (e.g., misdiagnoses or defamatory content).
Other Significant Tech-Related Laws
Age Assurance (AB 1043): Mandates age data collection during device setup and distribution to app developers to tailor protections without requiring sensitive identity verification.
AI Transparency and Content Warnings (AB 853 & AB 56): Delays dates for AI provenance requirements and establishes social media harm warnings tied to use time.
Deepfake and Health AI Regulation (AB 621 & AB 489): Expands protections against deepfake pornography and restricts generative AI from implying licensed health credentials in outputs.
Law Enforcement AI Use (SB 524): Requires disclosure when police reports are AI-generated and retention of drafts for auditability.
Vetoed Bills: Limits on Reform
Despite this active legislative year, Gov. Newsom vetoed six bills that would have broadened statutory protections:
No Robo Bosses Act (SB 7): Would have imposed workplace disclosures and limits on automated decision systems, but was rejected over concerns about overly broad restrictions and existing regulatory frameworks.
Leading Ethical AI for Kids (AB 1064): Aimed to bar high-risk chatbot access to minors, but was vetoed as too expansive and potentially prohibitive of useful AI tools for youth.
Multiple Additional Bills: Other vetoes targeted expanded liability for social platforms, increased data center water transparency, and further AI-employment notification mandates, reflecting a governor’s calculus that some reforms were either duplicative or posed regulatory burdens.
Context for Policy and Rights Discourses
California’s 2025 session reflects a broader trend: the state is asserting leadership in digital privacy and AI governance while navigating tensions between robust consumer protections and industry concerns about regulatory overreach.
EPIC’s legislative roundup demonstrates how state lawmaking continues to fill gaps left by federal inaction, especially around algorithmic accountability, automated decision systems, and age-specific safeguards.
Source for Legislative Updates:
EPIC Website. California Tech Legislation Roundup: Numerous Privacy and AI Laws Enacted and Six Vetoed, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), October 15, 2025, accessed at 8:22 PM on December 27, 2025, https://epic.org/california-tech-legislation-roundup-numerous-privacy-and-ai-laws-enacted-and-six-vetoed/.
Article is written with assistance from generative AI; Generative AI can make mistakes.
About the Author
California Attorney and Shareholder at Los Angeles-based family law firm Castellanos & Associates, APLC. Focuses on legal issues at the intersection of children’s privacy, global data protection, and the impact of media and technology on families.
Legal Disclaimer
The article is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney–client relationship. Readers should consult qualified counsel regarding specific legal questions.