CAADCA Section 1798.99.30(b)(1) and (b)(4) - Definitions: child
CAADCA applies to any business offering online services, products, or features likely to be accessed by children under 18 in California
Where this comes from
Provision: Section 1798.99.30(b)(1) and (b)(4) - Definitions: child; likely to be accessed by children
Instrument: California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273)
Citation: Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.99.30(b)(1) and (b)(4)(A)-(F) (definitions), read with § 1798.99.28 (short title) and § 1798.99.30(a) (the § 1798.140 definitions apply); AB 2273, Stats. 2022 ch. 320
Text version: Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1798.99.28-1798.99.40 (AB 2273, Stats. 2022 ch. 320; § 1798.99.31 as amended by SB 1525, Stats. 2024 ch. 80, effective 1 January 2025), leginfo.legislature.ca.gov text retrieved 2026-09-21. Partly enjoined: NetChoice, LLC v. Bonta, No. 25-2366 (9th Cir. 12 Mar. 2026) — see confidenceNotes.
Who it applies to
Child audience (designed for OR likely accessed by children) — any one of these:
- Service is specifically designed for children under 18
- Service is likely to be accessed by children under 18
Remaining applicability scope — all of these:
- Youngest user age is Under 13, 13-15 or 16-17
…unless:
- Information outside the title: medical information governed by the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, protected health information collected by a HIPAA/HITECH covered entity or business associate, and personal information collected as part of a... (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.99.40, incorporating § 1798.145(c)(1)(A) and (C))
- A provider of health care governed by the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, or a HIPAA covered entity, to the extent it maintains patient information in the same manner as medical information or protected health information. (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.99.40, incorporating § 1798.145(c)(1)(B))
Scope in the source's own terms
- Online service likely to be accessed by children
- Service available to California residents
What engineering work it implies
Sample acceptance criteria Landfall generates for this obligation:
- Assessment methodology is documented
- Assessment is completed and findings recorded
- Remediation plan created for identified risks
- Assessment is reviewed and signed off
- Assessment report is complete
Evidence an auditor expects
- Assessment documentDocument review
Child audience assessment
Documented assessment of whether service is likely to be accessed by children
- Process recordDocument review
Audience analysis methodology
Documentation of how child user likelihood is determined
Questions people ask
- Does CAADCA Section 1798.99.30(b)(1) and (b)(4) - Definitions: child apply to my service?
- It applies when at least one of: Service is specifically designed for children under 18; Service is likely to be accessed by children under 18; and Youngest user age is Under 13, 13-15 or 16-17. It does not apply where Information outside the title: medical information governed by the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, protected health information collected by a HIPAA/HITECH covered entity or business associate, and personal information collected as part of a... (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.99.40, incorporating § 1798.145(c)(1)(A) and (C)).
- From when does this apply?
- CAADCA Section 1798.99.30(b)(1) and (b)(4) - Definitions: child applies from 1 July 2024. Its current status is: in force.
- What evidence does an auditor expect?
- Child audience assessment; Audience analysis methodology.
Find out whether this one lands on you
Landfall's pre-scan answers the applicability question above for your product in minutes, then turns every obligation that applies into traceable engineering tickets with a citation chain your auditors can follow.
Not legal advice. Landfall maps regulatory obligations to engineering work for planning purposes. Its verdicts are not legal advice and create no attorney-client relationship — verify with qualified counsel before relying on them.