CAADCA Section 1798.99.31(a)(6) - Default privacy settings offering a high level of privacy
Configure all default privacy settings for children to the highest privacy level unless a compelling best-interests reason justifies a different default
Where this comes from
Provision: Section 1798.99.31(a)(6) - Default privacy settings offering a high level of privacy
Instrument: California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273)
Citation: Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.99.31(a)(6); AB 2273, Stats. 2022 ch. 320, as amended by SB 1525, Stats. 2024 ch. 80
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
CAADCA scope (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
…unless:
- A default setting other than a high level of privacy is permitted where the business can demonstrate a compelling reason that the different setting is in the best interests of children. (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.99.31(a)(6) (compelling-reason qualifier))
Scope in the source's own terms
- Service has child users
- Service available to California residents
What engineering work it implies
Sample acceptance criteria Landfall generates for this obligation:
- Default profile visibility: private (not public)
- Default data sharing: off (opt-in, not opt-out)
- Default location tracking: off
- Default contact discoverability: off
- User can change any default via settings
Evidence an auditor expects
- Technical controlTechnical audit
Privacy default configuration
Technical documentation showing all privacy settings default to highest protection for child users
- User-interface evidenceUser testing
Default settings screenshots
UI evidence showing default privacy configuration for new child accounts
Questions people ask
- Does CAADCA Section 1798.99.31(a)(6) - Default privacy settings offering a high le… 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. It does not apply where A default setting other than a high level of privacy is permitted where the business can demonstrate a compelling reason that the different setting is in the best interests of children. (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.99.31(a)(6) (compelling-reason qualifier)).
- From when does this apply?
- CAADCA Section 1798.99.31(a)(6) - Default privacy settings offering a high le… applies from 1 July 2024. Its current status is: in force.
- What evidence does an auditor expect?
- Privacy default configuration; Default settings screenshots.
Find out whether this one lands on you
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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.