California lawmakers are pushing a bill that would require streaming services like Netflix and Hulu to lower the volume of their commercials. The bill, known as Senate Bill 576, is inspired by the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, a federal law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010. The CALM Act limits the volume of TV commercials, but does not currently apply to streaming platforms.
Democratic Senator Tom Umberg of Santa Ana introduced the bill after his legislative director’s infant daughter was woken by a loud ad. The bill has received bipartisan support, passing the Senate floor in late May with unanimous approval. According to CalMatters, Umberg said, “This is the most popular bill I’ve introduced this year.”
The entertainment industry, including the Motion Picture Association of America, opposes the bill, arguing that streaming services cannot control ad volume in the same way as traditional broadcasters. Melissa Patack, a representative for the association, explained to the Assembly’s Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee that ads are paired with digital files in real time, making volume control challenging.
Despite this opposition, Umberg remains confident in the industry’s ability to adapt. He stated, “If they can make ads louder, they can make them less loud.” The bill seeks to enforce consumer protections for California residents, even if it affects out-of-state content providers. UC Berkeley Law Professor Tejas Narechania noted that federal courts have previously ruled in favor of California enacting such protections.
If passed, the bill would make California the first state to regulate streaming ad volume, setting a precedent for future legislation.
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