Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043, 2025, amended by AB 1856, 2026)
DAAA
Children
Creates a device-level age signal. Operating systems must ask for the user's birth date or age at account setup and send app developers an age-bracket signal (under 13, 13-15, 16-17, 18+) on request; developers must request the signal and are treated as knowing the user's age range. AB 1856 (2026) broadened the account-setup duty, set a July 1, 2027 deadline for devices set up before 2027, and bars requesting a signal when not required by law. Other 2026 laws (AB 1709, AB 2246, SB 1119) rely on this signal.
- Where
- California
- Citation
- Cal. Civ. Code 1798.500-1798.511 (Title 1.81.9)
- Status
- Enacted, not yet in force
- In force since
- 2027-01-01
- Enforced by
- California Attorney General
- People can sue
- No
- Penalties
- Civil penalty up to $2,500 per affected child per negligent violation and $7,500 per affected child per intentional violation, AG action only; good-faith safe harbor for OS providers and app stores on erroneous signals (1798.503).
- Applies to
- Operating system providers
- Covered application stores
- Developers of applications distributed through covered app stores
Practices it requires
- Operating system providers must provide an interface at account setup requiring the account holder to indicate the user's birth date or age.Cal. Civ. Code 1798.501(a)(1) · From 2027-01-01
- Operating system providers must send requesting developers a real-time signal with the user's age bracket and share only the minimum information needed.Cal. Civ. Code 1798.501(a)(2)-(3) · From 2027-01-01
- Developers must request an age signal when the app is downloaded and launched and are deemed to have actual knowledge of the user's age range.Cal. Civ. Code 1798.501(b) · From 2027-01-01
- For devices set up before January 1, 2027, operating system providers must offer an age-entry interface by July 1, 2027.Stats. 2026, Ch. 184 (AB 1856), sec. 3 · From 2027-07-01
Sources
- Official text
- Cal. Civ. Code 1798.500 (California Legislative Information)
- Cal. Civ. Code 1798.501
- Cal. Civ. Code 1798.503
- AB 1856 (2026) chaptered text
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Unverified: Exact codified section numbers for AB 1856's new transition provision not confirmed (cited to the bill section). | last_amended left null: AB 1856 (Stats. 2026, Ch. 184) presumably takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Research reference, not legal advice.