Cybercrime & Technology

Delay in implementation halts important public safety reform

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta this week joined eight attorneys general in calling for the review of the Wireline Competition Bureau’s abrupt suspension of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) order capping the cost of phone and video call rates for incarcerated people and their families, indefinitely postponing these reforms without adequate justification. Communication services play an important role in keeping incarcerated people connected to their loved ones and support systems, ultimately reducing disciplinary actions in prison, improving the likelihood of rehabilitation, and mitigating the negative impacts of incarceration on the community. These services can be provided at a reduced cost without sacrificing accessibility or safety, as California and other states that have opted to provide these services free of charge have clearly demonstrated. Earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta and a coalition of attorneys general filed an amicus brief in support of the FCC’s order. 

“States like California have shown that reducing or eliminating the cost of a simple phone call only serves to enhance public safety in communities. When incarcerated people are better connected to their family — and especially their children — they can better reintegrate into their communities upon their release. Stronger communication services allow incarcerated parents to act as supportive figures to their kids — this is associated with better outcomes for children and the communities they belong to. Incarcerated people who keep in touch with their communities have a place to return to, and return to prison at lower rates than those who do not have this opportunity,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Lawmakers and advocates understood the importance connection makes for public safety when Congress passed bipartisan legislation to ensure affordable and accessible communication services for incarcerated people and their families — yet reforms are delayed. I urge the FCC to review these delays in implementation and to move swiftly to give communities across the nation the best chance at building safety, stability, and a brighter future.”

BACKGROUND

Communication services in carceral settings have long been recognized as essential to successful rehabilitation. However, they have historically been provided at significant cost to the user, causing many people to incur thousands of dollars in debt and sacrifice basic needs, such as food or utility payments, to stay connected to their loved ones in correctional facilities. The high cost of staying in touch with incarcerated family members leads more than one in three families to go into debt to pay for phone calls and visits.

THE ORDER

The FCC first addressed this issue in 2015, issuing rate caps for calling services and prohibiting correctional facilities from taking a commission. After a court vacated these reforms, Congress enacted the Martha Wright-Reed Act in 2022, expressly authorizing the FCC to regulate these communications services. 

In September 2024, the FCC issued a new order that, among other things: (1) lowers the maximum rates correctional facilities can charge for phone calls and video communications; (2) establishes rate caps, for the first time, of video communication services; (3) eliminates ancillary fees; and (4) prohibits commissions to correctional facilities. Under the new rate caps, the cost of a 15-minute phone call would drop from as much as $11.35 to $0.90 in large jails and from $12.10 to $1.35 in small jails. While state prisons and juvenile detention facilities in California are already required to provide free phone calls under the Keep Families Connected Act of 2022, local adult jails and federal prisons within the state are not. The FCC’s order would hold local adult jails and federal prisons to a similar standard, meaning that fees for communication services will be greatly reduced or eliminated.

THE DELAY 

In the amicus brief, the attorneys general argue that the Bureau’s suspension of the FCC’s order violates Congress’s mandate that these reforms be implemented within 24 months of the Martha Wright-Reed Act of 2022 and fail to comply with required notice and comment rulemaking, ignoring critical issues and evidence in the record and violating the Bureau’s own regulations. The attorneys general urge the FCC to review the suspension order to ensure that these critical reforms can become effective on the timeline prescribed by Congress and previously established by the FCC without further delay. 

In submitting the letter, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. 

A copy of the letter can be found here.

Continues advocating to protect children from harm related to advancing technology  

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced his support of Assembly Bill 1064, also known as the Leading Ethical AI Development (LEAD) for Kids Act. If signed by the Governor, the LEAD for Kids Act, authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), would take an important first step by prohibiting the availability of so-called “companion chatbots” to children unless the chatbots are not foreseeably capable of certain conduct, such as engaging in sexually explicit interactions, or encouraging children to harm themselves, harm others, participate in illegal activity, among other things. In the last few weeks, Attorney General Bonta has warned 12 of the largest artificial intelligence (AI) companies of their legal responsibility to children as consumers after reports of sexually inappropriate interactions between AI chatbots and children. Attorney General Bonta and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings have also met with OpenAI to discuss deep concerns over increased reports of how OpenAI’s products interact with children, especially after reports that one young Californian died by suicide after engaging with a chatbot. 

“As the fourth largest economy in the world and the home to Silicon Valley, California knows that protecting our kids and pursuing innovation go hand in hand — they are not opposites. When faced with the decision about how their products treat children, we cannot wait for companies developing and deploying AI technologies to decide to prioritize children’s well-being over their profits. It is our job as policymakers and leaders to intervene and ensure that companies are not harming children,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “People across the nation — including myself — have become increasingly concerned with AI companies’ failure to protect children who interact with their chatbots. We need policies governing emerging AI technology that put consumer protection — especially when it comes to our most vulnerable consumers — front and center. I thank Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan for introducing this legislation, a much needed first step to ensure that our children are not treated as test subjects as AI innovation moves quickly.” 

"Our children deserve a future where technology isn’t designed to exploit their vulnerabilities for profit," said Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). "It's imperative that we fight for stronger protections and hold companies accountable when their products put children at risk. I'm grateful for Attorney General Bonta's support as we work together to build a safer digital world for California's children."

AI is increasingly integrated into children’s lives without sufficient information about how the technology will impact the children using it. AI companion chatbots are programs designed to form a relationship with a human user by engaging in human-like conversations, offering emotional support, and providing companionship. These chatbots can simulate human personalities and deep emotional relationships and falsely present as friends, romantic companions, or even mental health specialists. Because AI companion chatbots are capable of responding to emotions and behaviors to keep children engaged, the lines between what is real and not real can become increasingly blurred, especially for a still-developing brain. Companion chatbots have already harmed children and adolescents, including incidents of exposure to hypersexualized interactions, as well as encouragement of self-harm and suicide. 

Attorney General Bonta is committed to protecting Californians by responding to emerging and rapidly evolving technology. In the past years, Attorney General Bonta has filed lawsuits against Meta and TikTok. Both lawsuits are ongoing and claim that the social media giants intentionally designed their platforms to addict young people to their mental and physical detriment. 

Earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta issued two legal advisories, reminding consumers of their rights, and advising businesses and healthcare entities who develop, sell, or use AI about their obligations under California law. Although AI technology is developing rapidly, entities must comply with existing California laws. The legal advisories can be found here, and here. In the last few months, Attorney General Bonta sent multiple letters (here and here) to Congressional leaders strongly opposing a 10-year ban on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing AI and automated decision-making systems, arguing the rapidly evolving nature of AI technology demands the flexibility and responsiveness that states can provide and urging lawmakers to remove the provision. The ban was struck down in July. 

In 2024, Attorney General Bonta sent a comment letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) related to the potential impact of emerging AI technology on efforts to protect consumers from illegal robocalls or robotexts. In 2023, Attorney General Bonta joined a bipartisan coalition of 54 states and territories in sending a letter to Congressional leaders calling for the creation of an expert commission to study how AI can and is being used to exploit children through child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement in response to a Ninth Circuit ruling that allows most of SB 976 (Skinner) to become effective while litigation in this case proceeds. SB 976 limits the ability of social media companies and other website operators to use harmful, addictive algorithmic feeds, notifications, and other addictive design features to keep children and teens glued to the companies' platforms for hours. In response to SB 976, a trade association for technology companies — the same companies that commit tremendous resources to design platforms to keep kids glued to the screen — challenged California’s efforts to make the internet less addictive for children. The Ninth Circuit held that the trade association’s challenge is likely to fail. While some parts of SB 976 remain enjoined, the ruling allows the other requirements of this law to come into effect.

“We are pleased the court has allowed the majority of SB 976’s requirements to come into effect. Our children cannot wait. Companies have blatantly shown us that they are willing to use addictive design features, including algorithmic feeds and notifications at all hours of the day and night, to target children and teens, solely to increase their profits,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Through the passage of SB 976, California’s elected representatives sent a strong message: It’s time to put families in control. We remain confident in the underlying case and are committed to enforcing this law and continuing to vigorously defend it in court.”

BACKGROUND 

Excessive time spent online is associated with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, susceptibility to addiction, and interference with daily life — including learning. Every additional hour young people spend online is associated with an increased severity in symptoms of depression. 

California’s own investigations and lawsuits against Meta and TikTok have helped paint a full picture of the scope and intentionality of this public health crisis. California’s lawsuits against Meta and TikTok both claim that the social media giants intentionally designed their platforms to addict young people so they would spend longer on the platforms, to the detriment of their mental and physical health. For example, TikTok knew the harm that could come from young people using its platforms and designed the platform to include features that they knew were uniquely psychologically and physically harmful to young users to keep young people compulsively returning and staying longer.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings this week met with and sent a letter to OpenAI expressing their deep concern over increased reports of how OpenAI’s products interact with children. Because OpenAI operates in California, Attorney General Bonta is currently investigating the company’s proposed financial and governance restructuring. This week's meeting comes a week after Attorney General Bonta and 44 attorneys general sent a letter to 12 of the top AI companies, following reports of sexually inappropriate interactions between AI chatbots and children. 

“I am absolutely horrified by the news of children who have been harmed by their interactions with AI — including one young Californian who died by suicide after interacting with a chatbot. This is extremely worrying for parents, policy makers, and regulatory leaders everywhere — and I certainly expect alarms to be blaring inside the walls of AI companies around the world,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As the fourth largest economy in the world, California knows that protecting our kids and pursuing innovation can and must go hand in hand; they are not opposites. My office, working alongside Delaware Attorney General Jennings, has been reviewing the proposed restructuring of OpenAI. Together, we are particularly concerned with ensuring that the stated safety mission of OpenAI as a non-profit remains front and center. OpenAI purports to build AI to benefit all of humanity. Humanity includes children. And before we can even get to benefiting, we need to get to not harming. This week, I expressed my extreme dismay at OpenAI's current approach to AI safety and made clear that California is paying very close attention to how the company is crafting their policies surrounding AI safety, especially when it comes to interacting with children. Companies developing and deploying AI technologies must exercise sound judgment and must not hurt children. One child harmed is one too many.”

The letter by Attorney General Bonta and Attorney General Jennings to the OpenAI board is attached here.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today alerted consumers of ongoing text-based scam activity targeting California taxpayers. Tax fraud scams are a part of a larger universe of government imposter scams, which occur when a person claims to be a government employee in order to obtain a victim’s personal information or for financial gain. These fraudulent texts claim to come from the State of California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and ask consumers to provide personal information in order to receive their so-called tax refund. In today’s alert, Attorney General Bonta provides Californians with tips to avoid falling victim to tax fraud scams like this one and other government imposter scams. Taxpayers should be especially cautious with their tax, bank account, credit card, and other personal information. 

“Californians: Be on alert for texts from seemingly official government agencies that seem fishy — they might indeed be phishing scams designed to trick you out of your hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Bad actors are getting more sophisticated and show little signs of slowing. I urge Californians to not click on links in texts asking consumers for personal information, visit only official websites, and talk to friends and family who may be unaware of these dangers."

“Sadly, FTB and other California agencies constantly battle bad actors attempting to steal your money. These scammers may impersonate tax agency representatives to steal your personal information," said State Controller and FTB Chair Malia M. Cohen. "If you ever have doubts about the authenticity of a text, email, or phone call claiming to be from FTB, IRS, or any other government agency, contact the agency directly to verify whether there’s an issue that requires your attention.” 

FTB advises Californians not to reply to suspicious text messages, download attachments, or click on links in texts or emails if they are unsure of their authenticity. Verify any suspicious messages by contacting the agency identified directly and visiting official pages only. View FTB’s text messaging page to verify when FTB texts and what information they send. For more information, please see here.

Text-Based Scams 

If you receive a suspicious or unsolicited text message claiming to be from FTB, do not respond or click on any links, as the text may be a phishing scam. Text messaging is particularly dangerous because consumers might hurriedly click on a link and begin entering a password, not realizing that the link is phony and their password is being recorded. These texts may ask for:

• Usernames
• Passwords
• Payment
• Credit and debit card numbers
• Banking information
• PINs
• Social security number  

Other Tax Fraud Scams

Tax-related scams take on various forms and show up every year, especially around tax season. The most common tax-related scams include: 

• Fake phone calls demanding money: Scammers will call you claiming that they are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the FTB and say that you owe them money. The scammer will harass you and use high-pressure tactics claiming that you will be arrested, deported, or will lose your driver’s license if you don’t pay right now. Sometimes the scammer will even know your Social Security number or fake the caller ID so that it looks like they are calling from the IRS or FTB. Scammers may offer to provide “documentation” or “evidence,” or use the name of a real government official. If a government agency calls you and asks for financial or personal information, hang up and go to the agency’s official website (which should be a .gov website) and call them directly. Government officials will not threaten you with arrest or legal action in exchange for immediate payment. They will not promise to increase your benefits or resolve an issue in exchange for a fee or transfer of funds to a protected account.
• Fake emails: Scammers will send out "phishing" emails that look like they are from the IRS or FTB and claim that you either owe money or are due a refund. They will include links to official-looking websites and ask for either money outright or personal information that will allow them to steal your identity.
• Stolen refunds: Identity thieves will use stolen personal information to file false tax returns in your name and steal your refunds. Scammers will usually file early in the tax season, before you get to it. You won’t learn about the theft until you try to file your taxes.  

Protect Yourself from Tax Fraud Scams

• Protect your personal information: Never provide personal information, such as your Social Security number or bank account information, to someone you do not know.
• Be wary of unsolicited communication: As a rule of thumb, real government officials will never ask for payment in the form of gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, Internet currency, or by mailing cash.
• Hang up the phone! While in some cases the IRS or FTB may call a person who owes taxes, the agencies only do so after they have tried to contact you by mail. If you suspect a scam call, immediately hang up or do not respond. The longer you stay on the line, the more likely you are to fall victim to a scam.
• Use a strong password: When preparing your tax return for electronic filing, be sure to use a unique strong password for your online filing accounts. A strong password is eight or more characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols. Use a unique password for each of your tax filing accounts.
• Never sign a blank return: Do not use a tax preparer who asks you to sign a blank tax form.
• Talk to friends and family: Always seek a second opinion from your friends and family.

If you suspect you have been a victim of a tax-related scam, report the scam and any losses to the Internal Revenue Service and/or the California Franchise Tax Board. For more information and resources on tax fraud and other government imposter scams, visit our website at oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/taxes.

Letters seek to open line of communication with companies, understand how they are protecting the public

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined 47 attorneys general in sending letters to search platform and payment platform operators that indirectly facilitate the creation and distribution of nonconsensual deepfake pornography. Deepfakes are videos, pictures, or audio clips made with artificial intelligence (AI) to look real. The letters seek to open lines of communication with these companies, understand what actions they are taking to limit the creation and sharing of this content, and urge the companies to commit to take further action to limit the spread of this harmful content.

“Tools that allow people to generate intimate images and videos of real people without their consent can cause significant harm to the public — particularly to women and girls. These images have been used to bully, harass, and exploit people all over the world,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today, I joined a coalition of attorneys general in sending letters to companies that are indirectly part of the ecosystem that enables the distribution of this material, asking them to be part of the solution in preventing the dissemination of deepfakes. As technology rapidly evolves, I am committed to engaging in conversations with industries to ensure we’re all working together to guide AI to the positive potential that will benefit us — not hurt us.”

Nonconsensual deepfake pornography is a growing problem that poses significant harms to the public. It has been used to embarrass, intimidate, and exploit people around the world. As this technology becomes more powerful and creates more potential for harm, businesses that help people search for, create, and distribute this content need to be aware of their role in propagating this content and work to prevent its spread. For example, internet search providers may take steps to filter their search results to avoid sharing links to tools promoting the creation and distribution of deepfake pornography, and payment providers may take steps to ensure they do not facilitate payments to parties selling access to deepfake pornography creation tools. In the letters today, the attorneys general respectfully request more information from companies about their efforts to restrict or block nonconsensual deepfake pornography content and ask for the companies’ commitment to take further action to avoid being complicit in the creation and spread of this material. 

Attorney General Bonta is committed to protecting Californians by responding to emerging and rapidly evolving technology. 

This week, Attorney General Bonta sent a letter to 12 of the top AI companies, after reports of sexually inappropriate interactions between AI chatbots and children, making it clear that companies who make choices that lead their technology to harm children will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

Earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta issued two legal advisories, reminding consumers of their rights, and advising businesses and healthcare entities who develop, sell, or use AI about their obligations under California law. Although AI technology is developing rapidly, entities must comply with existing California laws. The legal advisories can be found here, and here. In the last few months, Attorney General Bonta sent multiple letters (here and here) to Congressional leaders strongly opposing a 10-year ban on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing AI and automated decision-making systems, arguing the rapidly evolving nature of AI technology demands the flexibility and responsiveness that states can provide and urging lawmakers to remove the provision. The ban was rejected in July. 

In 2024, Attorney General Bonta sent a comment letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) related to the potential impact of emerging AI technology on efforts to protect consumers from illegal robocalls or robotexts. In 2023, Attorney General Bonta joined a bipartisan coalition of 54 states and territories in sending a letter to Congressional leaders calling for the creation of an expert commission to study how AI can and is being used to exploit children through child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

In sending today's letters, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Vermont, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Copies of the letters can be found here and here. 

Meta must do better to protect consumers from financial harm 

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general, today sent a letter to Meta expressing deep concern regarding a flurry of investment scam advertisements (ads) running on its platforms — including Facebook newsfeeds. These investment scam ads threaten the pockets of consumers nationwide and Meta's existing systems have been shown to be insufficient to address the problem. In response to this concerning trend, the attorneys general ask Meta to take immediate action to improve its capabilities to detect and respond to these ads.

“It’s alarming to see how easy investment scam ads — which have cost some consumers their life savings — can be created and disseminated on Meta platforms. This growing trend, combined with Meta’s inadequate method of identifying these ads and its significant delay in removing them, makes this a recipe for disaster,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today, I urge Meta to prioritize the safety of its users against investment scam ads — Meta can and must do right by the millions of people that use its platforms.” 

Investment scam ads running on Meta's platforms deceive consumers with images of well-known investors. Upon clicking on the ads, users are prompted to download WhatsApp and become members of groups that are not in fact sponsored or affiliated with the investors identified in the ads.  They are then targeted in an illegal investment scheme, commonly known as a “pump and dump” scheme. As part of the scheme, scammers encourage users to invest in penny stocks, thus inflating or pumping up the stock price. Then the scammers quickly sell the stocks — leaving the users holding worthless stock that they can no longer sell to recover their losses. In some cases, these scams have resulted in users losing their life savings. The impact on victims is devastating, leading not only immense financial losses, but also significant psychological and social consequences. 

In the letter, the attorneys general urge Meta to adopt protocols to properly tackle this pervasive issue — or otherwise ban all investment ads on its platforms. Although Meta uses a combination of automated systems and occasional human review to try to detect, block, and remove these advertisements, these systems do not work and allow vast numbers of scam ads to get through to publication.  

The letter sent today highlights the latest way Meta fails to protect its users against harmful content. In 2023, Attorney General Bonta, along with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, sued Meta for its role in designing and deploying harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children and teens to their mental and physical detriment. This lawsuit remains ongoing. Last year, Attorney General Bonta sent a letter to Meta expressing concern regarding the increase in account takeovers and lockouts on Facebook and Instagram and the inadequacy of the company’s response to prevent and address consumer harm from these takeovers.  

In sending today’s letter to Meta, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washinton, West Virginia, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

A copy of the letter can be found here.

Location data can be used to track people’s precise movements — without them realizing 

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced an ongoing investigative sweep into the location data industry, sending letters to advertising networks, mobile app providers, and data brokers that appear to be in violation of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Some Mobile apps collect vast amounts of detailed data on consumers’ location and share this information with advertising networks and data brokers, which further sell and disseminate the data. This enforcement sweep focuses on how covered businesses offer and effectuate consumers’ right to stop the sale and sharing of personal information and right to limit the use of their sensitive personal information, which includes geolocation data. The letters issued as part of the sweep announced today notify recipients of a potential violation of CCPA requirements and request additional information regarding the recipient’s business practices. The risk posed by the widespread collection and sale of location data has become immediately and particularly relevant given federal threats to California's immigrant communities, and to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare. 

“Every day, we give off a steady stream of data that broadcasts not only who we are, but where we go. This location data is deeply personal, can let anyone know if you visit a health clinic or hospital, and can identify your everyday habits and movements,” said Attorney General Bonta. “California boasts the nation’s most robust privacy protection law, and businesses that collect consumer data must follow the law. Given the federal assaults on immigrant communities, as well as gender-affirming healthcare and abortion, businesses must take the responsibility to protect location data seriously.”

Location data can be used to track individuals’ movements or identify them with precision — including when they visit sensitive locations and where they live. A wide variety of third-party apps collect location data from mobile devices and consumers may share this data without realizing it. Because location data could be weaponized to locate individuals offline, businesses should be keenly aware of their responsibilities to protect this data and ensure consumers understand their rights.   

The CCPA

The California Consumer Privacy Act is a landmark law that secures increased privacy rights for California consumers, such as the right to know how businesses collect, share, and disclose their personal information. Businesses that are subject to the CCPA have specific responsibilities, including responding to consumer requests to exercise these rights and giving consumers certain notices explaining their privacy practices. Under the CCPA, Californians can direct businesses to only use their sensitive personal information for limited purposes, such as providing consumers with the services they requested. Geolocation data is included in the CCPA's definition of sensitive personal information.

Your Right to Opt Out

Under the CCPA, California consumers have the right to request that businesses stop selling or sharing personal information, known as the right to “opt-out.”  With some exceptions, businesses cannot sell or share your personal information after they receive your opt-out request unless you later provide authorization allowing them to do so again. Businesses must wait at least 12 months before asking you to opt back in to the sale or sharing of your personal information. On mobile devices, consumers must be able to opt out through links or settings available in the apps they download.

Limit your Mobile Devices’ Tracking Features 

In addition to opting-out, consumers can limit the amount of location data shared from their mobile devices by reviewing which apps have access to location data and adjusting location permissions in your phone or device settings.

• For Android users, go to Settings > Personal > Location Access > App location permissions. Then, tap on the app to change permissions.
• For Apple users, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Then, tap on the app to change permissions. 

Consumers can also disable the mobile advertising identifier (mobile ad ID) on your phone and mobile device. A mobile ad ID is a unique identifier associated with your phone that is used to track your online activity.  

• For Android users, go to Settings > Privacy > Ads. Tap “Delete advertising ID,” then tap it again on the next page. 
• For Apple users, go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking. Then set “Allow apps to Request to Track” toggle to the “off” position. Also, go to Settings > Privacy > Apple Advertising. Then set “Personalized Ads” toggle to the “off” position.  

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings may also inadvertently reveal the location of consumers; to limit this risk consumers can: 

• Turn Bluetooth off on their mobile devices when not in use and use it in “hidden” mode rather than “discoverable” mode. 
• Be careful about connecting to public WiFi — consider adjusting device settings so your device does not automatically connect. 
• Consider disabling WiFi to avoid inadvertently putting your sensitive information stored on your device and in online accounts at risk.

To learn more about consumer rights under the CCPA, please visit here. 

SAN FRANCISCO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today delivered remarks on California Department of Justice’s preparations to protect California’s values, people, and natural resources ahead of a second Trump Administration. To view a recording of the press conference, please visit here. 

Attorney General Bonta's Remarks as Prepared for Delivery:

As the reality of a second Trump Administration takes hold, I know there is a great deal of fear, sadness, anxiety, and panic. 

I understand. 

I’m here today to reassure you that in California, progress will prevail. 

No matter who is in the White House, no matter who holds control of Congress, in California we will keep moving forward. 

In California, we will choose calm over chaos. 

Fact over fiction.

Belonging over blame.

Unity over division. 

“Us and we” over “I and me.” 

It’s why we’re the 5th largest economy in the world. Not in spite of our commitment to workers, consumers, and the environment, because of it. 

Because we’re the largest and most diverse state in the nation.

Because we believe in the power of inclusivity.

Because we believe in truth over lies. Hope over hate. Light over dark.

Because  we believe in looking forward.

It’s who we are in the Golden State. It’s in our DNA. Nothing and no one can change that. 

As Attorney General, I’ll continue to use the full force of the law and authority of this office to address injustice. 

To stand up for all people, especially those who have long been overlooked and undervalued.

To safeguard reproductive rights. 

And advocate for more housing — especially more affordable housing for lower and middle-income families just trying to get by.

I’ll continue to take on greedy corporate giants and fight for more affordable gas, groceries, and everything in between.  

I’ll continue to defend our world-renowned natural resources and protect them for generations to come. 

Continue to fight for clean water to drink and clean air to breathe.

Continue to crack down on illicit guns on our streets and get fentanyl out of our neighborhoods. 

Continue to fight for workers.

I’ll continue to protect, defend, and serve every single Californian. No matter your politics. 

I’m here to ensure every person — no matter how they look, how much money they make, where they’re from, who they love, how they identify, or how they pray — can pursue their version of the California Dream. 

A fair wage and good benefits.  

A safe and affordable place to live.  

Affordable and accessible health care. 

Good schools to send our kids to. 

Safe neighborhoods to raise our families. 

That’s my promise to you, no matter who is in the White House.  

We’ve been here before.

We lived through Trump 1.0. 

We know what he’s capable of. 

We know what plans he has in store. 

The silver lining is just that: we know. 

We know to take Trump at his word when he says he’ll roll back environmental protections, go after our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, attack our civil rights, and restrict access to essential reproductive care.

Which means, we won’t be flat-footed come January.

You can be sure that as California Attorney General, if Trump attacks your rights: I’ll be there. 

If Trump comes after your freedoms: I’ll be there. 

If Trump jeopardizes your safety and well-being: I’ll be there.

California DOJ did it before and we’ll do it again.  

During the last Trump Administration, California DOJ fought to stop illegal rollbacks and proposals that would’ve harmed the well-being, health, safety, and civil rights of our people and of people across the country. 

That would have caused irrevocable damage to our environment.

No matter who is in charge of the federal government…

No matter what the incoming Administration has in store… California will remain the steadfast beacon of progress it has long been.  

A constant, unwavering, immoveable force to be reckoned with.  

We’ll continue to be a check on overreach and push back on abuse of power. 

Be the antidote to dangerous, extremist, hateful vitriol.

Be the blueprint of progress for the nation to look to.

Remember: in moments of chaos in D.C., you can always look to California for calm resolve. 

California leaders across the state are ready to stand arm-in-arm. 

Governor Newsom and every single Constitutional Officer;  

Senator Padilla and Senator-elect Schiff;  

Democratic members of Congress; 

Pro Tem McGuire, Speaker Rivas, and the California Legislature; 

Mayors, supervisors, and city councilmembers from San Francisco to San Diego are ready to fight for our California values. 

For our people. For our environment.

For progress and justice.

And as necessary, we’re ready to take on the challenges of a second Trump Administration — together.

While a great deal of change is on the horizon…

California’s path to progress remains full steam ahead.

It may not always be linear. Progress so rarely is. 

It zigs and zags. Takes frustrating detours. Inches forward and backward and forward again. 

The detours and setbacks don’t define our progress.

Our commitment to forward momentum defines our progress. Defines us. 

It’s what we do next that will define us. 

If you’re feeling despondent today, remember that you’re not alone. 

In California, we’re not looking back. We’re not moving back. 

We’re California! We’ll meet any challenges head on and rise to the occasion.

As is so often said, as California goes, so goes the nation.

In the days and months and years to come, all eyes will look west. 

In California, they’ll see: we’re still moving forward.

Thank you. 

Platform designed to promote excessive, compulsive, and addictive use

SAN FRANCISCO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James today co-led a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok for violations of state consumer protection laws. Filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Attorney General Bonta’s action alleges that TikTok exploits and harms young users and deceives the public about the social media platform’s dangers. The action seeks significant penalties, as well as injunctive and monetary relief, to address TikTok’s misconduct.

“Our investigation has revealed that TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits. TikTok intentionally targets children because they know kids do not yet have the defenses or capacity to create healthy boundaries around addictive content,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “When we look at the youth mental health crisis and the revenue machine TikTok has created, fueled by the time and attention of our young people, it’s devastatingly obvious: Our children and teens never stood a chance against these social media behemoths. TikTok must be held accountable for the harms it created in taking away the time — and childhoods — of American children.” 

“Young people are struggling with their mental health because of addictive social media platforms like TikTok,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “TikTok claims that their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from true. In New York and across the country, young people have died or gotten injured doing dangerous TikTok challenges and many more are feeling more sad, anxious, and depressed because of TikTok’s addictive features. Today, we are suing TikTok to protect young people and help combat the nationwide youth mental health crisis. Kids and families across the country are desperate for help to address this crisis, and we are doing everything in our power to protect them.”

Use of TikTok is pervasive among young people in the United States. In 2023, 63% of all Americans aged 13 to 17 who responded to a Pew Research survey reported using TikTok, and most teenagers in the U.S. were using TikTok daily; 17% of American teens said that they were on TikTok “almost constantly.”

In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta alleges TikTok violated California’s consumer protection statutes, the Unfair Competition Law (UCL), and the False Advertising Law (FAL).

According to the complaint, TikTok’s misconduct arises from its underlying business model that focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the TikTok platform so as to enable the company to boost revenue from selling targeted advertising space. TikTok’s misconduct includes: 

Deploying a content-recommendation system designed to be addictive in order to maximize the time young users spend on the platform. TikTok’s algorithmic features are designed to keep minors on the platform as long as possible and as often as possible, despite the dangers of compulsive use.

Using manipulative features to addict young users and maximize their time on its platform. These features exploit children's psychological vulnerabilities and are deployed to keep kids and teens on the platform for longer. 

BEAUTY FILTERS

Beauty filters and effects are deeply harmful to young users; they foster unrealistic beauty standards, harm self-esteem, and can induce negative body image issues and related physical and mental disorders. TikTok knows these filters and effects significantly increase platform use, particularly among young users, and retains these features despite their harms.

AUTOPLAY

To manipulate users into compulsively spending more time on the platform, TikTok does not allow them to disable Autoplay. TikTok uses Autoplay to continuously play new and temporary posts; this exploits young users’ novelty-seeking minds and eliminates their autonomy to choose to stop.

ENDLESS/INFINITE SCROLL

Endless scrolling compels young users to spend more time on the platform by making it difficult to disengage. It strips away a natural stopping point or opportunity to turn to a new activity and distorts users’ perception of time.

TIKTOK STORIES AND TIKTOK LIVE

Content on these features is only available temporarily — users must tune in immediately or lose the opportunity to interact. These time-sensitive features are designed to encourage young users to compulsively return to the platform by exploiting their uniquely sensitive fear of missing out. 

PUSH NOTIFICATIONS

Push notifications unfairly entice young users by overloading and overwhelming them to return to the platform. Some pushes are designed to keep young users from quitting the platform altogether, and others encourage young users to open the application. TikTok has even used fake notifications to manipulate users into opening its platform. 

LIKES AND COMMENTS

At key development states it can be overwhelmingly important for children and teens to be accepted by their peers. TikTok’s design and display of highlighting “likes” as a form of social validation has an especially powerful effect on young users and can neurologically alter teenagers’ perception of online posts, in addition to driving compulsive use.

Engaging in a scheme that deceptively markets the platform and platform features as promoting young users’ safety and well-being. TikTok employs a coordinated array of features, tools, content moderation efforts, community guidelines, and public assurances intended to promote a public narrative that the platform is appropriate and safe for young users and that TikTok prioritizes user safety. In truth, such features and efforts do not work as advertised, the harmful effects of the platform are far greater than acknowledged, and TikTok does not prioritize safety over profit.

Exploiting children’s data without parental notice or consent. Despite knowing certain users are under 13 years old and despite the platform being directed toward children, TikTok has collected and used personal information from children's accounts without parental consent or notice. Doing so is both unfair and fails to satisfy TikTok’s obligations under federal law. 

Attorneys general from the following states join Attorney General Bonta today in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok to hold it accountable for its role in the children's mental health crisis: New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. As of today, 23 attorneys general have filed actions against TikTok for its conduct toward youth, including existing actions filed by the attorneys general of Utah, Nevada, Indiana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and Texas. 

Attorney General Bonta is a steadfast leader in protecting children against the mental health harms of using social media. In March 2022, Attorney General Bonta announced a nationwide investigation into TikTok, and in March 2023, he filed an amicus brief demanding TikTok comply with state investigations. In October 2023, Attorney General Bonta co-led a bipartisan coalition of 33 attorneys general in filing a federal lawsuit against Meta alleging the company designed and deployed harmful features that addict children and teens to their mental and physical detriment, and in November 2023, he announced the public release of a largely unredacted copy of the federal complaint. Last month, Attorney General Bonta issued a statement after Senate Bill 976 (SB 976) was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. SB 976 provides important new protections for young people in California by resetting the defaults on social media platforms to disfavor addictive algorithmic feeds, notifications, and other addictive design features that lead children and teens to spend hours and hours on their platforms. 

A copy of the unredacted complaint can be found here.