“At the exact same moment their unregulated AI chatbot products are causing harm and death among young people in California and across the country, Big Tech lobbyists are scrambling to fight against basic protections for kids like those in California’s landmark LEAD for Kids Act by pouring tons of money into lobbying, ads, and dark-money…
“Big Tech has already spent $2.6 million in the first half of 2025 in Sacramento, and that was only the beginning. In these final days of the legislative session, legislators must stand strong – Californians have their backs.”
“We applaud Attorney General Bonta for his clear statement that OpenAI is failing to protect kids and that he has zero tolerance for kids becoming collateral damage in Big Tech’s AI race. He is right to investigate whether OpenAI’s proposed restructuring will actually benefit humanity, as its leadership has pledged to do.”
“While Big Tech CEOs like Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg may have the tools and information they need to prevent harm, they lack the will and common decency – which is why we need lawmakers to step up now and pass the Kids Online Safety Act and state AI safety legislation that protects kids.”
“In the heart of the global tech industry, these California congressmembers should be applauded for opposing federal preemption and ensuring artificial intelligence works for the people, not for Big Tech.”
While California leaders like State Senator Steve Padilla are taking the right steps to make AI chatbots safer, Congress is doing the opposite by trying to block states from protecting their own residents – all to appease tech giants that have made it clear they prefer zero oversight.
Tech Oversight California, Oakland Privacy, Tech Equity, and Consumer Attorneys of California today raised the alarm after California Senators passed a bill that would allow Big Tech companies to spy on Californians’ online activities by creating a loophole in the state’s Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), jointly issuing the following statement.
The bills tackle a range of urgent issues, from limiting invasive surveillance and protecting children online to regulating artificial intelligence and strengthening consumer privacy laws.
Tech Oversight California today applauded the announcement that the California and Delaware Attorneys General have stepped in to stop OpenAI’s for-profit conversion following a letter calling on the AGs to weigh in.