Have you ever watched a show in your living room, a quiet part has been playing for a few minutes, then abruptly, you jump out of your seat as a figurative airhorn blasts in your ears from an advertisement? If you have, then you will be happy to hear that California has passed a law to prevent advertisements from being louder than the media they interrupt.
The law was created because of an effort to reduce noise pollution from sudden loud commercials in close proximity. The law was also supported by thousands of complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about the extremely loud advertisements.
The law was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom and is set to take effect July 1st, 2026. The law will require that all major streaming platforms match the audio level of the commercials to the level of the video content. If they refuse, the advertisements will not be allowed to be played.
The bill, while widely supported by the public, has not seen universal support. The Motion Pictures Association, which acts in the interest of large companies such as Netflix, Sony, Paramount, Disney, and others, has opposed the bill.
Besides the annoyance of a sudden increase in volume, potentially startling viewers, the bill will also help those with disabilities or parents. For those with certain disabilities, a sudden change in volume can cause issues to flare up, making advertisements a boogeyman for them, never knowing when the next one might appear and cause an incident.
As for parents, they will no longer need to worry about loud advertisements waking their children or making babies cry from the overwhelming stimulus. Overall, the bill is a welcome addition to the laws of California, and hopefully, the law will spread to other states as well.
