California extends federal loudness rules to streaming ads

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Oct. 6 signed a law that will bar streaming services from airing commercials at a higher volume than the programs they interrupt, making the state the first to extend federal loud-ad rules to online video platforms. Senate Bill 576, approved by the legislature without opposition, takes effect July 1, 2026 and applies to any video streaming service that transmits advertisements to consumers in California.

The law prohibits a streaming service from transmitting "the audio of commercial advertisements louder than the video content the advertisements accompany," language drawn directly from the bill. It effectively extends the protections of the federal Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, passed by Congress in 2010 and previously applied only to broadcast and cable operators, to ad-supported tiers of services such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, YouTube, Prime Video and HBO Max.

Newsom said in a statement that "we heard Californians loud and clear, and what's clear is that they don't want commercials at a volume any louder than the level at which they were previously enjoying a program." The legislation was authored by state Sen....