Children & Families
State of California
CA
· Sep 2024
California's Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act (SB 976, 2024) bans social media platforms from serving AI-driven addictive feed features (infinite scroll, push notifications, autoplay) to users under 18 without parental consent. Platforms must develop age-appropriate versions of their AI recommendatio…
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Children & Families
State of California
CA
· Sep 2024
California SB 1381 (2024) makes it a crime to create or distribute AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM), closing a legal gap that had allowed synthetic AI-generated images to escape prosecution under laws written for photographic CSAM. The law applies even when no real child was used and imposes penalties of…
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Children & Families
U.S. Congress
· Jul 2024
The TAKE IT DOWN Act (Taking Action to Knock out Exploitative Non-Consensual AI-Generated Images of Minors) was signed into law in 2025, requiring platforms to remove AI-generated sexual images of minors within 48 hours of a report. The law creates a federal felony for publishing non-consensual intimate imagery includi…
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Children & Families
State of Maryland
MD
· May 2024
Maryland's Kids Code (SB 571 / HB 603, 2024) requires social media platforms and AI-driven services to configure all settings to the most privacy-protective defaults for users under 18, and prohibits the use of AI profiling algorithms to serve personalized content to minors without verifiable parental consent. Platform…
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Children & Families
State of Florida
FL
· Mar 2024
Florida HB 3 (2024), signed into law as the Online Protections for Minors Act, prohibits social media platforms from using algorithmic recommendation systems to serve content to children under 14 without verifiable parental consent, and bans autoplay features and infinite scroll designed to maximize engagement for mino…
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Children & Families
State of Texas
TX
· Jun 2023
Texas SB 2488 (SCOPE Act, 2023) requires social media platforms to implement age-verification systems and restrict algorithmic content curation for users under 18. Platforms must disclose how recommendation algorithms work when requested by parents, and must provide tools for parents to view and disable AI-driven conte…
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Children & Families
Repealed / Overturned
U.S. Congress (proposed)
· May 2023
COPPA 2.0 (Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, proposed 2023) would expand the original 1998 COPPA law to protect teenagers up to age 16, and add new requirements specifically addressing AI-driven profiling of minors. The bill prohibits targeted advertising to children and teens, bans data brokers from s…
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Children & Families
European Union
EU
· Oct 2022
The EU Digital Services Act (DSA, Regulation 2022/2065) prohibits large platforms from using algorithmic recommendation systems to serve targeted advertising to minors and bans profiling of children for any commercial purpose. Platforms must conduct algorithmic risk assessments for harms to minors and provide child-saf…
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Children & Families
State of California
CA
· Sep 2022
California's Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273, signed 2022) requires online services likely to be accessed by children under 18 to default to high-privacy settings, prohibit AI systems from profiling children without explicit consent, and conduct data protection impact assessments. Algorithmic amplification of …
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Common questions about AI laws and your rights
Colorado, Illinois, and California have the most active AI worker protection and algorithmic decision-making laws. At the federal level, enforcement primarily flows through existing FTC, EEOC, and CFPB authority rather than AI-specific statutes.
▸ Does the US have a federal AI law?
The United States does not have a comprehensive federal AI law as of mid-2026. The US approach has been sector-specific guidance, executive orders, and voluntary commitments rather than binding legislation — unlike the EU, which enacted the AI Act. Individual states including Colorado, California, Illinois, and Texas have passed or are actively advancing their own AI laws, creating a patchwork of rules that vary significantly by jurisdiction and industry.
▸ What penalties do companies face for violating AI laws?
Penalties for AI law violations vary widely by jurisdiction and law type. Under state consumer protection laws, companies can face fines of $1,000–$20,000 per violation plus injunctive relief. The EU AI Act imposes penalties up to €30 million or 6% of global annual turnover for the most serious prohibited AI practices. In the US, most current AI enforcement flows through existing FTC authority — which can result in consent decrees and civil penalties — rather than AI-specific statutes with their own penalty schedules.
▸ How do I know which AI laws apply in my state?
To find AI laws that apply in your state, use the category filter above to browse by jurisdiction and topic. Colorado, Illinois, and California have the most comprehensive AI worker protection and algorithmic accountability laws. If your issue involves hiring decisions, look for state algorithmic accountability laws; for facial recognition, many cities and states have enacted specific bans or moratoria. The IAPP also maintains a comprehensive US state AI law tracker if you need broader coverage than this database.
▸ Can I file a complaint if an AI system harmed me?
Yes — depending on the type of harm, you can file complaints with the FTC (unfair or deceptive AI practices), EEOC (discriminatory AI in hiring decisions), CFPB (AI in credit or lending decisions), or your state attorney general's consumer protection office. Some states with algorithmic accountability laws (Colorado, Illinois) have specific complaint pathways for AI decision-making. Document the AI decision you received, request an explanation under any applicable transparency law, and consult an employment or consumer protection attorney if the harm is significant.
▸ What is the EU AI Act and does it affect US companies?
The EU AI Act is the world's first comprehensive AI regulation, passed in 2024 and phasing in requirements through 2027. It applies to any company that places AI products in EU markets or whose AI systems affect EU residents — which means many US AI companies must comply even without a European headquarters. It bans certain AI uses outright (social scoring, real-time biometric surveillance in public), and requires risk assessments, transparency disclosures, and human oversight for "high-risk" AI systems used in hiring, credit, law enforcement, and education. US companies serving EU customers should review which of their AI tools fall under high-risk categories.
▸ What rights do I have when an AI system makes a decision about me?
In the US, your rights depend on which sector is involved. For hiring decisions, several state laws require employers to disclose when AI was used and allow you to request the criteria it applied. For credit decisions, the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to know adverse action reasons even if an algorithm made the decision. For government AI decisions, Freedom of Information laws may give you access to how automated systems work. In the EU, GDPR gives you an explicit right not to be subject to solely automated decisions with significant legal effects. See the
fighting back guide for practical steps in each scenario.