New California law turns down the volume on loud streaming ads

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a new bill into law that prohibits streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime from suddenly increasing audio levels during commercial breaks.

SB 576, authored by state Sen. Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana), requires streaming companies to comply with existing regulations that require broadcasters to ensure commercials’ audio doesn’t exceed the primary content.

“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,” Newsom said in a statement. “By signing SB 576, California is dialing down this inconvenience across streaming platforms, which had previously not been subject to commercial volume regulations passed by Congress in 2010.”

Umberg said the bill was inspired by “baby Samantha and every exhausted parent who’s finally gotten a baby to sleep, only to have a blaring streaming ad undo all that hard work.”

“SB 576 brings some much-needed peace and quiet to California households by making sure streaming ads aren’t louder than the shows we actually want to watch,” he said.

The law goes into effect on July 1, 2026.