Backing California's Adams Law - Pinterest Newsroom

As AI companion chatbots spread, Pinterest supports new safeguards for young people—and is pushing the tech industry to meet a higher standard.

Pinterest endorses California’s Senate Bill 1119 (also known as Adam’s Law) and commends Governor Newsom for signing it. This is a moment to draw a clear line between innovation and responsibility. AI can help young people learn, create and explore. But AI companion chatbots are different. When a product is designed to simulate friendship, romance or emotional dependence, the stakes rise quickly—especially for teens. Products like that should face tougher safeguards and real accountability. We commend Senator Steve Padilla and Assembly members Buffy Wicks and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan for their leadership on this important issue.

“AI is powerful, and so is its effect on young people,” said Pinterest CEO Bill Ready. “Teens deserve technology that supports their wellbeing, not technology that puts it at risk. At Pinterest, giving teens a safer, more positive experience isn’t a slogan—it’s a commitment. As AI companion chatbots get built, including in widely used social media platforms, companies need clear guardrails and real accountability. Adam’s Law is a smart step, and I commend Governor Newsom for signing it.”

Pinterest is built to inspire action. It’s where young people come to get inspired, plan what’s next and start creating a life they love. AI helps power that experience—helping people explore ideas, make plans and act on them.

But Adam’s Law speaks to a different kind of AI: products designed to simulate friendship, romance or emotional dependence. That is a line Pinterest does not cross. We do not build AI to mimic human relationships, and we do not design it to keep young people emotionally tethered to a machine.

That is a deliberate choice.

It is reflected in the protections we’ve built for younger users. This includes limits on interactive AI features such as Pinterest Assistant, which is available only to adults 18 and older and designed to redirect harmful or inappropriate conversations in line with our policies and safety standards. This builds on our broader commitment to young people’s safety, including private only accounts for users under 16, limited social features for teens and wellbeing-centered design.

Adam’s Law does more than set guardrails for AI companion chatbots used by minors—it makes clear that companies are responsible for the risks their products create. Child-protective defaults, parental controls, crisis-response measures and independent audits should not be optional. They should be the baseline. The bill also helps address high-risk interactions and harmful content, including self-harm and sexually exploitative material.

And the risks are real. A national study published in JAMA Network Open found that about 1 in 8 U.S. adolescents and young adults use AI companion chatbots and other GenAI tools for mental health advice. Among those who do, about two-thirds use them at least once a month.1 This is not about stopping innovation. It is about holding the industry to a higher standard—and making sure companies are accountable for the products they put in front of young people.

"We welcome Pinterest's endorsement of SB 1119 and the message it sends: that protecting children must be a shared priority,” said Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. “We hope more companies will follow this example and join us in building a safer future for the next generation.”

“Making AI chatbots safer for kids has widespread support, shown by the more than 250 organizations that support SB 1119 through The Children’s Movement of California,” said Ted Lempert, President of Children Now. "This Pro-Kid, first in the nation bill will help protect kids from chatbots feeding them dangerous advice while positioning themselves as friends, and we commend the Governor for signing it into law."

Teens should be able to use AI to learn, create and explore—without being pulled toward products designed to foster dependency or imitate human connection. Pinterest is proud to support Adam’s Law and help lead the push for AI that is safe by design.