Amending AB 1709 Doesn’t Fix It: California’s Social Media Ban Still Threatens Free Speech and Privacy

California lawmakers amended A.B. 1709, yet it remains a social media ban for youth under 16, threatening First Amendment rights and privacy. Meanwhile, an eSafety study reveals that 81% of Australian children aged 10 to 15 continued using social media three months after their under-16 ban. Despite account ownership dropping from 52% to 42%, particularly on TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, most children maintained their usage frequency while parental awareness of these habits decreased.