THE BUZZ — Children play a major part in the $21 billion-a-year global influencer economy. One California lawmaker wants to make sure they get their fair cut. State Sen. Steve Padilla, a San Diego Democrat, is championing a bill that would require vloggers who feature minors in 30 percent or more of their content to put aside a proportionate amount of gross revenue in a trust for the child — only to be accessed when they come of age. A similar law recently went into effect in Illinois, but California, home to some of the largest social media companies, 40 million people and a sprawling entertainment industry, could help set a new national standard for the treatment of children on the internet. California has given such protections to child actors for nearly 80 years, but Padilla’s bill aims to address a modern industry that is still widely unregulated. "This is an area where we need to catch up, and provide some sort of protection here against exploitation,” Padilla said. The boom of social media over the last two decades has produced a slew of family content creators, with parents sharing intimate details about their daily lives on platforms like Instagram, Youtube and TikTok and using their children to secure lucrative endorsement deals. In some cases the kids themselves are the main revenue drivers — like Ryan Kaji, a Texas boy who at the age of 9 became YouTube’s highest-paid creator for his videos reviewing toys. Padilla says he’s trying to shield kids from monetary exploitation, and by extension, emotional and psychological harms. The hope, he said, is that restrictions on child-generated revenue might make parents think twice about oversharing their kids, and avoid harrowing scenarios like the one recently seen in Utah, where “mommy vlogger” Ruby Franke was arrested for child abuse. The new legislation builds off the 1939 Coogan Act, named for one of Hollywood’s first child stars, Jackie Coogan — who made millions during the silent film era, only to discover in adulthood that his parents had squandered his earnings. In addition to rules about schooling, work hours and time off, the Coogan Act requires a child’s employer to put aside 15 percent of their earnings in a trust. Padilla’s Senate Bill 764 would similarly require vloggers to divert a portion of earnings on a video or picture featuring a child to a protected trust for the minor’s benefit. The new proposal, which currently has no formal opposition, is speeding through the Legislature, with a Senate floor vote expected early next week. "We're setting a standard that says, 'If you're featuring your children's lives from the time they take their first steps until they're about to go to college, and it's 60 percent of your content and you're monetizing it, then that should be the level at which, some provision is made for their financial future,’” Padilla said. GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Now you can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte WHERE’S GAVIN? Out of state to stump for President Joe Biden. He’s appearing on MSNBC again tonight before returning home to California. CONTEST ALERT: SENATE GUESSING GAME — A major power shift is underway in the California Senate as longtime President Pro Tem Toni Atkins prepares to pass the gavel. Her replacement, incoming Pro Tem Mike McGuire, will be sworn in on Feb. 5. The question on everyone’s mind: Who will McGuire name to key Senate leadership positions? Make your predictions and compete against your fellow politicos (and the Playbook authors). Think of it as a far less sinister Game of Thrones or fantasy football for politics nerds. We noticed some of you are really going for the win by filling out our bonus question with your full roster of predictions for Senate committee leaders. Those with the most accurate guesses will receive a shout-out in California Playbook and an extra special swag bag, so be sure to leave your name and email with your prediction. Happy guessing!
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