What to know about California’s new ‘kidfluencer’ law

Parents who earn money from “kidfluencer” social media content are now required to compensate their children, under a bill signed into law in California on Thursday. 

Senate Bill 764, which was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom this week, requires creators who feature minors in over 30% of their content to deposit proportionate earnings into trust funds for those children to access at 18 years old. 

Demi Lovato, who has released a documentary titled “Child Star,” was present at the bill’s signing. The film features interviews with actors such as Christina Ricci and Drew Barrymore about the perils and opportunities of child stardom. 

Once the laws take effect in 2025, parents must set aside at least 15% of “kidfluencer” content earnings into a trust. Percentages will increase depending on the amount of social media content the minor is featured in. It also requires content creators to document the amount of content in which children are featured.

The new bill mirrors some measures from California’s 1939 Coogan Law, which was the first U.S. legislation protecting incomes of child performers in the television and film industries. California is the third state, after Illinois and Minnesota, to pass protective legislation for children performers in the social media content.