California — Executive Order N-5-26 - Trusted AI Procurement
California · Executive Order N-5-26 - Trusted AI Procurement
This newer California executive order directs DGS and CDT to develop trust-and-safety certifications for state AI contracting (covering CSAM/NCII, harmful bias, and civil-rights violations), reforms to bar contracting with entities that unlawfully undermine privacy or civil liberties, and CDT guidance on watermarking AI-generated media.
Technical detail
This newer California executive order directs DGS and CDT to develop trust-and-safety certifications for state AI contracting (covering CSAM/NCII, harmful bias, and civil-rights violations), reforms to bar contracting with entities that unlawfully undermine privacy or civil liberties, and CDT guidance on watermarking AI-generated media.
Who is protected: Residents interacting with state government AI systems; public-sector data subjects.
Who must comply: California state agencies and departments, and vendors seeking to contract with or sell AI to the State
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | California |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2026-03-30 |
| Citation | Executive Order N-5-26 - Trusted AI Procurement |
| Topics | government use of AI · automated decision-making · biometric data · consumer data privacy · AI disclosure and transparency |
| Last verified | 2026-07-01 |
| Official source | Executive Order N-5-26 (Governor Gavin Newsom, State of California) ↗ |
More AI rules in California
- California AB 489 (AI healthcare chatbot misrepresentation ban) · In effect
- CA SB 1298 (2012 AV authorization) · In effect
- CA AB 856 (2015 drone trespass) · In effect
- California Bot Disclosure Act (bots must self-identify in sales/election messaging) · In effect
- California AB 302 (state must inventory its high-risk automated decision systems) · In effect
- California SB 981 (platforms must let users report & remove deepfake nudes) · In effect
Related government use of AI rules elsewhere
- Office of Artificial Intelligence Oversight · Proposed / pending
- AI Gendered Impact Assessment + Interagency Taskforce · Proposed / pending
- NYC resolution urging NY State to pass Advanced AI Licensing Act (A.3356) · Status unknown
- Emergency 365-day moratorium on new data centers (>20 MVA) · In effect
- Resolution setting Seattle data-center impact-study framework · In effect
- Six-month moratorium on data centers >350,000 sq ft (Minneapolis) · In effect
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