California just became the first state to ban those ear-splitting commercials that blast through your speakers during streaming sessions on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, finally extending protections that have existed for broadcast television since 2010. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the groundbreaking legislation into law, forcing streaming platforms to ensure that commercials maintain the same average volume as the programs they interrupt, ending years of sudden audio eruptions that have jolted viewers and woken sleeping babies across the state. The bill was inspired by a legislative aide’s newborn daughter Samantha, whose sleep was constantly disrupted by blaring streaming ads, prompting State Senator Tom Umberg to declare that California heard its citizens “loud and clear.”
While the Federal Communications Commission has required broadcast stations and cable channels to maintain consistent audio levels for over a decade, the increasingly powerful streaming services have been exempt from these rules until now. Senator Umberg celebrated the victory by saying the bill brings much-needed peace and quiet to California households by ensuring streaming ads aren’t louder than the shows people actually want to watch. Since so many major streaming platforms are based in California, this new state law could effectively set a national standard and lower commercial volumes across the entire country. Baby Samantha’s disrupted sleep just changed the streaming experience for millions of exhausted parents and noise-sensitive viewers everywhere.
