Student personal information.

Assembly Member Addis proposes comprehensive changes to California's student privacy laws, expanding protections across educational levels while establishing new restrictions on the use of student data in artificial intelligence systems. The legislation modifies existing safeguards for K-12 and early learning students while creating parallel protections for higher education through the Higher Education Student Information Protection Act.

The bill requires operators of educational websites, apps and online services to obtain explicit authorization before using student information to train AI systems or develop AI technologies, limiting such uses to specific educational purposes that benefit schools. It prohibits operators from engaging in targeted advertising, selling student data, or creating non-educational student profiles using collected information. The legislation mandates data security protocols, retention policies, and deletion procedures when information is no longer needed for its original purpose.

Students and their guardians gain new enforcement mechanisms through a private right of action against non-compliant operators, with potential remedies including monetary damages, injunctive relief, and attorney fees. Before filing suit, affected parties must provide operators 45 days' notice to correct violations. The higher education provisions take effect July 1, 2026, while K-12 and early learning protections apply upon enactment.

The measure maintains existing exemptions for law enforcement, legitimate research, and general audience websites not specifically designed for educational use. It aligns with federal education laws while creating a unified framework for protecting student privacy across California's education system.