Newsom signs bills protecting earnings of child influencers, content creators

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a pair of bills on Thursday that would protect the earnings of child influencers and expand existing law to better financially shield minors working as content creators. 

The blue-state governor signed SB 764, introduced by state Sen. Steve Padilla (D), which would ensure legal and financial protections for minors recorded in monetized online videos by mandating that parents or guardians allocate a percentage of the earnings in a trust account. 

Padilla said that “as the entertainment industry evolves, our laws must evolve with it to remain relevant to ensure protections for vulnerable young performers.”

Newsom also signed, AB 1880, introduced by Assemblymember Juan Alanis (R), which would expand the existing Coogan Law to incorporate minors working as content creators online. Coogan Law, which was signed in 1939, was meant to ensure that portions of child performers’ earnings go into a trust. 

Other states have acted in a similar manner. Illinois became the first state to pass a law that requires parents to put aside half of the profits to their child in a fund as long as the children appear in at least 30 percent of time on-screen in a one-year span.  

“A lot has changed since Hollywood’s early days, but here in California, our laser focus on protecting kids from exploitation remains the same. In old Hollywood, child actors were exploited. In 2024, it’s now child influencers,” Newsom said. 

“Today, that modern exploitation ends through two new laws to protect young influencers on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms.”

The legislation was supported by signer Demi Lovato, whose recent documentary “Child Star” probes through the experiences kids have working at a young age in the entertainment industry. 

“In order to build a better future for the next generation of child stars, we need to put protections in place for minors working in the digital space,” Lovato said in a statement. “I’m grateful to Governor Newsom for taking action with this update to the Coogan Law that will ensure children featured on social media are granted agency when they come of age and are properly compensated for the use of their name and likeness.”