California Social Media Addiction Bills Clear Key Hurdle

California lawmakers on Thursday advanced widely watched bills aimed at combating children’s addiction to social media.

Meanwhile, legislation that would force tech platforms such as Meta Inc.'s Facebook and Alphabet Inc.'s Google to pay for news content was approved for a final floor vote by the end of the month before adjournment.

The home state of Silicon Valley has repeatedly over the past few years tried to enact laws imposing responsibilities onto the tech sector around child users, with concern that social media has triggered mental health issues over instances of bullying and harassment. But such efforts have faced legal ...