The California Bot Disclosure Law (SB 1001) makes it unlawful to use a bot to communicate with a person online with the intent to mislead them about its artificial identity in order to influence a purchase or a vote in an election. This is California’s original bot statute, and it has been in effect since July 1, 2019.
How the California Bot Disclosure Law Works
Disclosure is the safe harbor. If the bot’s automated nature is made clear, conspicuous, and reasonably designed to inform the person it is talking to, the communication stays on the right side of the law.
Who Must Comply
The statute applies to public-facing platforms with 10 million or more monthly US visitors. Though written before the generative AI boom, it is the foundation of California’s chatbot disclosure regime and applies squarely to modern AI sales and marketing bots, so companies deploying conversational AI aimed at California consumers should treat disclosure as a baseline requirement.
Source: California Legislative Information: SB 1001
Report a violation: If you believe a business is violating this law, you can file a complaint with the California Attorney General Consumer Protection.
