Assembly Member Lowenthal's proposal to establish additional civil penalties for social media platforms that fail to protect children reflects mounting concerns over digital safety for young users. The legislation would supplement existing liability provisions in California's Civil Code by creating new financial consequences for platforms that do not exercise ordinary care in their operations affecting children.

The bill's findings point to what authors describe as a pattern of social media companies deploying features that can harm children, with associated costs currently falling on parents, schools, and taxpayers. While platforms already face general liability for injuries caused by negligence, this measure would create a specialized framework of civil penalties specifically addressing their interactions with minor users.

Under the proposed system, social media companies would retain their existing duty of care obligations while facing additional financial exposure when their practices affect children. The measure does not specify penalty amounts or enforcement mechanisms, indicating these details would be established through subsequent regulatory processes. The legislation requires a majority vote for passage and involves no direct state appropriations or local program requirements.