California Drops Expansion of Age-Gating Law After Privacy Backlash

California lawmakers removed provisions from A.B. 1856 that would have expanded age-gating to browsers and websites, after EFF and others warned it would threaten speech, privacy, and security. The amended bill now exempts open-source operating systems and moves forward without the most problematic language. EFF still opposes the underlying A.B. 1043, calling it unconstitutional and warning it will push platforms toward invasive age verification.