Common Sense Media to Honor “Champions” for Kids’ Online Safety in Sacramento

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 18, 2025 — Common Sense Media today announced the honorees for its "Champions for Children Awards," to be held in Sacramento on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. The awards celebrate California state leaders and parent advocates who have been instrumental in efforts to protect children from the dangers of social media and AI.

"California has long led the way on tech innovation, and this year's honorees are proving that our state is also a leader in the fight to make tech safer for kids and families," said Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer. "At a time when some D.C. politicians are trying to thwart progress we're making here, these state leaders and parents are forging ahead with real solutions to the challenges kids and families face online. Their work brings us closer every day to the digital future our children deserve, and we appreciate them very much."

The Common Sense Media Champions for Children honorees are:

• Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, chairwoman of the Assembly Privacy Committee and the author of legislation to require warning labels on social media platforms and ban AI companions for minors.
• Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, chairwoman of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and the author of California's 2023 Age-Appropriate Design Code law, co-author of the bill to ban AI companions for minors, and the author of a bill to establish age assurance for users of social media platforms, among her other efforts.
• Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, the Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore and author of several bills on tech and social media use, including legislation to increase financial liability for social media companies whose platforms are proven to harm children.
• Senator Henry Stern, author of legislation to limit the use of social media during school and California's law to improve the ability of kids and families to report cyberbullying.
• Senator Scott Wiener, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and author of legislation to protect AI company whistleblowers from retaliation.
• Victoria Hinks, a parent advocate from Marin County who supports social media warning labels and whose daughter died by suicide after algorithms showed her posts encouraging eating disorders, self-harm, and suicide.

The Champions for Children Awards is one of several events Common Sense Media is hosting during a two-day Sacramento summit. In addition to the awards event, Common Sense Media is organizing a parent Day of Action on August 19th. On August 20th, Common Sense Media and Tech Oversight will host a screening of the documentary Can't Look Away: The Case Against Social Media, followed by a panel discussion.

Common Sense Media hosted a LinkedIn Live conversation between Common Sense Media Chief Content Officer Jill Murphy and Bloomberg News journalist Olivia Carville in April about the documentary.

Reporters interested in covering the Day of Action, the awards event, and the screening should contact Lisa Cohen at [email protected].

About Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users worldwide and 1.4 million educators every year. Learn more at commonsense.org.