[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":370},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fuc-irvine-researcher-warns-california-s-under-16-social-media-law-could-backfire":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":358,"dateModified":358,"description":359,"extension":13,"meta":360,"navigation":21,"path":361,"rawbody":362,"seo":363,"sitemap":364,"stem":365,"tags":366,"__hash__":369},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fuc-irvine-researcher-warns-california-s-under-16-social-media-law-could-backfire.md","UC Irvine researcher warns California's under-16 social media law could backfire",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":351},[242,246,250,266,269,272,275,279,282,285,288,292,295,298,301,304,308,311,314,317,320,323,338,341,345],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"uc-irvine-researcher-warns-californias-under-16-social-media-law-could-backfire",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"UC Irvine computer scientist Gillian Hayes argues California's AB 1709 effectively bans social media for users under 16.",[254,258,259],{},"The law bars autoplay and personalized feeds for users under 16 and is set to take effect Jan. 1.",[254,261,262],{},"Hayes cites Australia's under-16 ban, where evaluations found more than 80% of kids still on restricted platforms.",[254,264,265],{},"The bill's sponsor says even partial enforcement would protect millions of California children.",[66,267,268],{},"The boy was 13. On Autcraft, a Minecraft server built for autistic kids, he had friends he trusted. He led builds and comforted other kids when they were struggling.",[66,270,271],{},"Then, while he was describing all of it for a study, he asked, \"Will I always be not social?\"",[66,273,274],{},"Gillian Hayes told that story in a commentary The Bakersfield Californian published Oct. 29. Hayes is a computer scientist at UC Irvine and co-directs the CERES Center for Children and the Digital World. She argued that California's new limits on kids' social media, along with the push to restrict AI chatbots, could cut kids off from the online spaces where they feel safest. The law she's mainly writing about, Assembly Bill 1709, is set to take effect Jan. 1. It's statewide, so it will reach teenagers in Kern and Fresno counties just as it reaches kids in Los Angeles.",[61,276,278],{"id":277},"what-the-law-does","What the law does",[66,280,281],{},"Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1709, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, on Sept. 10. According to a summary from the law firm Fenwick, it was one of 13 child safety bills he signed that day.",[66,283,284],{},"The law bars covered platforms from offering what it defines as \"addictive features\" to users under 16, KERO-TV in Bakersfield reported. That includes autoplay and personalized algorithmic feeds. Teens can still have accounts and search for content. Starting in 2027, apps will have to request an age-bracket signal from a device's operating system or app store, the station reported, and the law also creates an e-safety commission.",[66,286,287],{},"Senate Bill 1119, known as Adam's Law, was also part of the package. According to KQED, it requires companion chatbot operators to assess the risks their products pose to children, document what they find and hand the results to an independent auditor. It also requires parental controls and in-app crisis support.",[61,289,291],{"id":290},"what-hayes-argues","What Hayes argues",[66,293,294],{},"Hayes wrote that Californians are right to worry. \"The lawsuits behind this year's chatbot bills involve real children who were harmed,\" she wrote.",[66,296,297],{},"But she said bans mostly don't work, and she pointed to Australia. Three months into that country's under-16 social media ban, the government's own regulator and a peer-reviewed medical journal study both found more than 80% of kids still using restricted platforms, she wrote. Kids fake their ages and borrow logins.",[66,299,300],{},"She said she appreciates that AB 1709 goes after design features like infinite scroll. Her objection, which she said the Electronic Frontier Foundation shares, is that the law defines \"addictive features\" so broadly that it effectively bans social media for people under 16. She also wrote that age verification \"largely doesn't work\" and lets the same companies people are worried about collect even more data on kids and adults alike.",[66,302,303],{},"She wrote that LGBTQ youth often find support online that isn't available at home or school. Autistic and other neurodivergent kids, she wrote, often make their best friends in text-based or game-based spaces.",[61,305,307],{"id":306},"what-a-bakersfield-family-said","What a Bakersfield family said",[66,309,310],{},"The bill's backers read it differently. Marc Berkman, chair of the Organization for Social Media Safety, which sponsored AB 1709, told KERO the law doesn't stop content. \"We're just preventing the problematic habitual use of these platforms,\" he said.",[66,312,313],{},"Citlali Soto, a student at Independence High School in Bakersfield, told the station Instagram and TikTok once ate up three to four hours of her day. Her father, Javier Soto, took social media away when she was about 12 or 13. She told the station she has no interest in going back.",[66,315,316],{},"Asked about the new law, her father said, \"It would make me feel safer about social media.\"",[66,318,319],{},"Berkman acknowledged the age checks won't be perfect at first. KERO reported that legal challenges from the tech industry could delay the Jan. 1 start, though Berkman said his group expects the law to hold up in court.",[66,321,322],{},"\"If we're 30, 40, 50% effective, that is millions of children in California that are now protected,\" Berkman said.",[66,324,325],{},[326,327,328,329,331,332,337],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,330,239],{}," team and developed by ",[333,334,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":335},[336],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[339,340],"hr",{},[61,342,344],{"id":343},"source","Source",[66,346,347],{},[333,348,349],{"href":349,"rel":350},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bakersfield.com\u002Fopinion\u002Fcommentary-ai-and-social-media-bans-won-t-make-california-kids-safer-online-it-may\u002Farticle_f8739436-b935-4efc-9414-cfd10a3ae379.amp.html",[336],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":352},[353,354,355,356,357],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":277,"depth":11,"text":278},{"id":290,"depth":11,"text":291},{"id":306,"depth":11,"text":307},{"id":343,"depth":11,"text":344},"2026-11-01","Gillian Hayes argues AB 1709 works like a ban for kids under 16 and relies on age checks she says don't work. The bill's sponsor and a Bakersfield father see it differently.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fuc-irvine-researcher-warns-california-s-under-16-social-media-law-could-backfire","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-11-01'\ndateModified: '2026-11-01'\ndescription: Gillian Hayes argues AB 1709 works like a ban for kids under 16 and relies\n  on age checks she says don't work. The bill's sponsor and a Bakersfield father see\n  it differently.\ntags:\n- policy\n- social media\n- bakersfield\ntitle: UC Irvine researcher warns California's under-16 social media law could backfire\n---\n\n# UC Irvine researcher warns California's under-16 social media law could backfire\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. UC Irvine computer scientist Gillian Hayes argues California's AB 1709 effectively bans social media for users under 16.\n2. The law bars autoplay and personalized feeds for users under 16 and is set to take effect Jan. 1.\n3. Hayes cites Australia's under-16 ban, where evaluations found more than 80% of kids still on restricted platforms.\n4. The bill's sponsor says even partial enforcement would protect millions of California children.\n\nThe boy was 13. On Autcraft, a Minecraft server built for autistic kids, he had friends he trusted. He led builds and comforted other kids when they were struggling.\n\nThen, while he was describing all of it for a study, he asked, \"Will I always be not social?\"\n\nGillian Hayes told that story in a commentary The Bakersfield Californian published Oct. 29. Hayes is a computer scientist at UC Irvine and co-directs the CERES Center for Children and the Digital World. She argued that California's new limits on kids' social media, along with the push to restrict AI chatbots, could cut kids off from the online spaces where they feel safest. The law she's mainly writing about, Assembly Bill 1709, is set to take effect Jan. 1. It's statewide, so it will reach teenagers in Kern and Fresno counties just as it reaches kids in Los Angeles.\n\n## What the law does\n\nGov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1709, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, on Sept. 10. According to a summary from the law firm Fenwick, it was one of 13 child safety bills he signed that day.\n\nThe law bars covered platforms from offering what it defines as \"addictive features\" to users under 16, KERO-TV in Bakersfield reported. That includes autoplay and personalized algorithmic feeds. Teens can still have accounts and search for content. Starting in 2027, apps will have to request an age-bracket signal from a device's operating system or app store, the station reported, and the law also creates an e-safety commission.\n\nSenate Bill 1119, known as Adam's Law, was also part of the package. According to KQED, it requires companion chatbot operators to assess the risks their products pose to children, document what they find and hand the results to an independent auditor. It also requires parental controls and in-app crisis support.\n\n## What Hayes argues\n\nHayes wrote that Californians are right to worry. \"The lawsuits behind this year's chatbot bills involve real children who were harmed,\" she wrote.\n\nBut she said bans mostly don't work, and she pointed to Australia. Three months into that country's under-16 social media ban, the government's own regulator and a peer-reviewed medical journal study both found more than 80% of kids still using restricted platforms, she wrote. Kids fake their ages and borrow logins.\n\nShe said she appreciates that AB 1709 goes after design features like infinite scroll. Her objection, which she said the Electronic Frontier Foundation shares, is that the law defines \"addictive features\" so broadly that it effectively bans social media for people under 16. She also wrote that age verification \"largely doesn't work\" and lets the same companies people are worried about collect even more data on kids and adults alike.\n\nShe wrote that LGBTQ youth often find support online that isn't available at home or school. Autistic and other neurodivergent kids, she wrote, often make their best friends in text-based or game-based spaces.\n\n## What a Bakersfield family said\n\nThe bill's backers read it differently. Marc Berkman, chair of the Organization for Social Media Safety, which sponsored AB 1709, told KERO the law doesn't stop content. \"We're just preventing the problematic habitual use of these platforms,\" he said.\n\nCitlali Soto, a student at Independence High School in Bakersfield, told the station Instagram and TikTok once ate up three to four hours of her day. Her father, Javier Soto, took social media away when she was about 12 or 13. She told the station she has no interest in going back.\n\nAsked about the new law, her father said, \"It would make me feel safer about social media.\"\n\nBerkman acknowledged the age checks won't be perfect at first. KERO reported that legal challenges from the tech industry could delay the Jan. 1 start, though Berkman said his group expects the law to hold up in court.\n\n\"If we're 30, 40, 50% effective, that is millions of children in California that are now protected,\" Berkman said.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Newsdesk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.bakersfield.com\u002Fopinion\u002Fcommentary-ai-and-social-media-bans-won-t-make-california-kids-safer-online-it-may\u002Farticle_f8739436-b935-4efc-9414-cfd10a3ae379.amp.html\n",{"title":237,"description":359},{"loc":361},"news\u002Fuc-irvine-researcher-warns-california-s-under-16-social-media-law-could-backfire",[367,368,83],"policy","social media","QrYpPVH5ajlIttF5n4JOrwmSIlXLn7oQulOQWr7XlBg",1793556999840]