Demi Lovato Advocates for Young Social Media Influencers as California Enacts New Protections

Demi Lovato joined California Governor Gavin Newsom in Los Angeles on Thursday as he signed two significant bills aimed at protecting young social media influencers from financial exploitation. These new laws are designed to ensure that children and teenagers who create content on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are safeguarded in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

During the signing ceremony, Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of adapting legal protections to modern circumstances. “A lot has changed since Hollywood’s early days, but here in California, our laser focus on protecting kids from exploitation remains the same,” he stated. “In old Hollywood, child actors were exploited. In 2024, it’s now child influencers. Today, that modern exploitation ends through two new laws to protect young influencers.”

Lovato has been a passionate advocate for these legislative changes, which she highlighted in her recent Hulu documentary, “Child Star.” This project marked her directorial debut and focused on the challenges faced by young stars in the entertainment industry. Through her film, Lovato aims to shed light on the risks of early fame and the need for enhanced protections.

In a recent interview with CNN, Lovato expressed her concerns about the current state of the media landscape. “It’s kind of the wild, wild west in the digital age,” she remarked, pointing out how different it is for young performers today compared to when she entered the industry as a child in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Lovato first gained fame on shows like “Barney and Friends” and later became a Disney Channel star, transitioning into a teen idol.

With the rise of digital influencers, Lovato believes there is a critical gap in legal protections for minors working in these new environments. She noted that the laws in place did not adequately address the unique challenges posed by the modern digital economy.

In her documentary, Lovato collaborated with youth activist Chris McCarty, who heads the advocacy organization Quick Clicking Kids. Together, they worked to promote the bills that Governor Newsom eventually signed into law. Lovato has articulated her desire to take this advocacy further, expressing hope that these protections will eventually reach federal legislation.

After the bills were signed, Lovato shared her gratitude towards Governor Newsom, stating that these laws “will ensure children featured on social media are granted agency when they come of age and are properly compensated for the use of their name and likeness.”

One of the bills, SB 764, establishes essential financial and legal safeguards for minors involved in monetized online content. It requires parents or guardians to set aside a percentage of their child’s earnings in trust accounts, ensuring that young creators have financial protection. The other bill, AB 1880, expands California’s long-standing Coogan Law to include minors working as content creators on digital platforms, thus extending protections that were historically reserved for traditional child actors.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) praised the new legislation, underscoring the importance of these protections for young performers in all mediums. “We are grateful that protections now existing for child performers—protections we helped secure long ago—will be expanded to cover content creators and influencers,” stated Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the national executive director of SAG-AFTRA. “Regardless of medium or platform, all child performers must be strongly protected.”

The passage of these laws represents a significant step forward in safeguarding the rights and well-being of young social media influencers, who navigate a complex and often exploitative industry. As the digital landscape continues to grow, Lovato’s advocacy highlights the need for ongoing vigilance and legislative action to protect the youngest members of the entertainment community. With the backing of influential figures like Lovato and supportive legislation in California, there is hope for a more equitable future for young performers.