The Governor Gavin Newsom warned that it will “vigorously” defend California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, a first-in-the-nation child privacy law to protect the well-being, data and privacy of children using online platforms.

"I was proud to sign the bill last year to put California's children first, and now I'm ready to vigorously defend it," Newsom said in a statement responding to a recent lawsuit led by the tech industry to block the law.

“As a father of four and the governor of the nation’s most populous state, I am passionate about our state’s efforts to lead this fight for children’s online privacy. No other state is doing more than California to protect children – shielding them from harmful data mining, violent content, and automated GPS tracking that allows adults to track children,” he added.

In mid-December 2022, tech industry group NetChoice filed a lawsuit to block the law signed by Newson in September 2022, which requires tech companies to adopt new policies to protect children and their privacy online.

The landmark bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting the well-being, data, and privacy of children using online platforms AB 2273 establishes the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, which requires online platforms to consider the best interests of child users and prefer privacy and safety environments that protect children’s mental and physical health and well-being.

AB 2273 prohibits companies that provide online services, products, or features that are accessible to children from using a child's personal information; collecting, selling, or retaining a child's geolocation; profiling a child by default; and directing or encouraging children to provide personal information.

The bill also requires that privacy information, terms of service, policies and community standards be easily accessible and respected, and requires responsive tools to help children exercise their privacy rights. 

This bipartisan legislation strikes a balance between protecting children and ensuring that tech companies will have clear rules that allow them to continue to innovate.

However, NetChoice said in its lawsuit that the law violates the First Amendment, arguing that tech companies have the right under the Constitution to make “editorial decisions” about what content they publish or remove. 

The law, which will come into effect in 2024, would force companies to "serve as roving censors of online speech," they say, leading to "excessive moderation" of online content.

At the time, the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement that "We are reviewing the complaint and look forward to defending this important child safety law in court."

You may be interested in: Man arrested in Redwood City on charges of sex against minors

officers of the Redwood City Police Department ‒RWCPD, for its acronym in English‒ arrested Aldo Sepúlveda Pérez, after he was investigated for being involved in the solicitation of minors for lewd purposes.

Thus, the Redwood City Police Department's Investigations Unit conducted an investigation, where sufficient evidence was found to arrest the 35-year-old man.

The arrest was made on the charges: Lewd Acts with a Minor and Contacting a Minor for Sexual Purposes, and Arranging to Meet with a Minor for a Lewd Act.

Sepulveda Perez was booked into the San Mateo County Jail on the charges, according to RWCPD.

Authorities said they executed search warrants at the suspect's residence as well as his workplace, where electronic items were seized. 

In the coming days, Redwood City detectives will search the seized electronic devices for any additional evidence of sexual crimes and/or additional victims.

In light of the ongoing investigation, the Redwood City Police Department is seeking public assistance in identifying any additional victims of illicit sexual contact by Sepulveda Perez.

If you have any information regarding the investigation or know of any victims of the shooter, please contact Sergeant Mark Alifano at 650-780-7673.

For information on any case in Redwood City, please call the Information Line at 650-780-7110.

You may be interested in: Help Requested to Find Sexual Assault Suspect in San Mateo County

By Sonia Herrera. San Jose Spotlight. Bay City News.

Time is money, and in Silicon Valley, that saying is very true. So when news broke that Google's long-awaited megacampus in San Jose might be postponed, it was met with surprise and concern.

At stake are approximately 25,000 jobs and $155 million for a community fund that will be used to pay for education, job training and to try to prevent displacement following the construction of Downtown West. These benefits will only become apparent once Google employees occupy offices on the downtown San Jose campus.

“Originally, we all knew it was going to be a long-term plan,” said San Jose Councilman Omar Torres, who represents downtown. “But yeah, it’s definitely concerning that a lot of the money is coming when the cranes are up in the air.”

Nanci Klein, director of San Jose's economic development department, confirmed to San Jose Spotlight that the $155 million community fund will not be awarded until Google has completed its offices. The company is also not legally required to build its campus.

Google has not yet said it plans to pause construction, however, and Klein said the company has already gone beyond what is typically required of companies building offices in the city.

“Google has continued to be an extremely dedicated and good partner to the city – they’ve moved forward with the demolition and they’ve already done what most developers don’t do, which is give dollars up front before the development takes place,” Klein said. “So Google is already doing more.”

Regina Celestin Williams, executive director of the housing advocacy group SV@Home, sits on the 13-member commission that will decide how to distribute $155 million to the broader community. This fund is intended to offset the economic effects, including a sharp rise in rents, that will likely result from Downtown West. A delay in the project could give the city more time to protect residents from displacement, she said. 

The commission plans to hold its first meeting next month.

“Once they implement that project and enact this tremendous expansion of downtown San Jose, it will reshape the city,” he told San Jose Spotlight. “We, as advocates, are primarily concerned about how it affects the people who are already here.”

A city within a city

Although Google has already paid San Jose $4.5 million and agreed to pay $15 million within 120 days of the start of construction, the remaining money promised by the tech titan won't arrive until Googlers are working on the site.

Progress on projects the size of Downtown West — which spans about 80 acres and has been called “a city within a city” — may slow or speed up as it reaches new phases of construction, an unnamed Google source told San Jose Spotlight. The company hasn’t announced whether it plans to postpone construction, only that it’s “reevaluating” its timeline.

San Jose Councilwoman Dev Davis said she was not surprised by Google's announcement. Her district encompasses the entire Downtown West project.

“We always knew there was uncertainty about community benefits and that community benefits were largely tied to the actual project,” Davis explained to San Jose Spotlight. “The great thing is that we know Google is committed to San Jose, and they provided us with community benefits, and we have dollars available that we can use.”

The planned transformation of the Diridon Station area into the “Grand Central Station of the West” remains a major incentive for companies like Google to build campuses downtown, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said.

“With the state recently completing funding for Caltrain electrification and adding $375 million to the BART extension to Silicon Valley, the case for Google to invest in Downtown West is stronger than ever,” Mahan added.

RJ Ramsey, a homeless advocate who also sits on the commission, agreed that more time could allow Google to shape the project in a way that minimizes disruption to local communities.

While some residents remain nervous about Google's impending arrival downtown, the $155 million community fund will go a long way toward allaying concerns, Ramsey said.

"If the commission does its job, this should be a win-win for everyone in San Jose," he said. "Hey Google, take your time to get it right."

To read the original note from Click here.

You may be interested in: Wealth disparity in Silicon Valley deepens as poverty rises

These are the local news from February 11 to 17 that you need to know to stay up to date.

Ya en la segunda parte del mes de febrero, un fin de semana largo que sin duda da la oportunidad perfecta para salir y conocer algún rincón del estado de California, sus parques, sus ríos, lagos y playas. Sin embargo, recuerde consultar el clima actual y en los próximos días del lugar que busca visitar, así como de las carreteras y caminos que tenga que tomar para llegar a él. Además, revisar siempre las condiciones de vehículo para evitar desperfectos en carreteras.

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The Mexican Consul General in San Francisco, Remedios Gómez Arnau, said that she does not have updated information on the repatriation of the bodies of the victims of the shooting in HMB (Half Moon Bay), Marciano Martínez and José Romero, who died on January 24 during the shooting near a farm.

In an interview with Peninsula 360 Press, the official said she was unaware of the status of the procedures for the bodies to be returned and released to Mexican soil. 

He emphasized that financial assistance for the affected relatives is, first and foremost, in the hands of the U.S. authorities, since the crime for which the Oaxacans unfortunately lost their lives must be brought to justice and resolved first in that country.

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During a meeting with the Mexican community of Redwood City and its surroundings, held on February 9 in Casa Circulo Cultural, por parte de Remedios Gómez Arnau, cónsul general de San Francisco, California, y Jaime Vázquez Bracho, director general de Servicios Consulares de México, se buscó reforzar los diversos servicios que la red consular en el país ofrece actualmente y se escucharon las dudas e inquietudes sobre diversos temas migratorios por parte de la diáspora mexicana.

Among the concerns raised by attendees were those regarding appointment dates at the Mexican consulate, the issuance of visas, the issuance of birth certificates, as well as the issuance of credentials from the National Electoral Institute and the National Institute for Older Adults (INAPAM).

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Two Bay Area teenagers' concerns about climate change recently led them to consider the less obvious effects of extreme weather, which resulted in dozens of homeless men, women and children getting shoes.   

High school students Hanna Johnson and Audrey Hsu organized a shoe drive late last year as part of the Climate Leaders Fellowship, a free online forum for students interested in working together to combat the harmful effects of the Earth’s changing weather patterns in their respective communities.  

The two-month collaboration was organized by student travel company Rustic Pathways, the foundation he created to fund social and environmental projects around the world, and Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab.

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San Jose tops the list of the top 100 cities with the highest number of homeless young adults per capita, highlighting a growing crisis in the region.

In the heart of Silicon Valley, there are nearly 85 homeless residents ages 18 to 24 per 100,000 residents, putting San Jose at No. 1 in the United States. The study, conducted by United Way of the National Capital Area, analyzed data from the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 100 major cities across the country. The study was released in late January.

The study also finds that the problem in San Jose is particularly acute. The city has nearly 50 more homeless youth per capita than the second-highest city on the list, New York City, which has roughly 36 homeless young residents per 100,000 people. Los Angeles lands at No. 3, with 32 homeless young adults per 100,000 residents.

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El condado de San Mateo anunció este martes el lanzamiento de un grupo de trabajo que se compromete a mejorar las condiciones de vida de trabajadores agrícolas que residen en viviendas proporcionadas por el empleador.

The county council said the task force will ensure compliance with local and state rules and regulations affecting the health and safety of employer-provided housing for farmworkers and their families.

According to local regulations, farm operators must obtain county permits if they provide housing for five or more workers.

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Casi 33 mil unidades de vivienda asequible están actualmente atrapadas en el desarrollo previo en el Área de la Bahía y necesitan unos 7.6 mil millones de dólares para completarse, según una nueva investigación de Enterprise Community Partners sin fines de lucro de vivienda y la Autoridad de Financiamiento de la Vivienda del Área de la Bahía.

Un total de 395 proyectos de viviendas asequibles se encuentran en varias etapas de predesarrollo, y necesitan financiamiento público o privado adicional para completarse, según una investigación de las dos organizaciones, que se organizó en la base de datos del Proyecto de Vivienda Asequible del Área de la Bahía.

De esos proyectos, 282 son proyectos de nueva construcción, mientras que 67 son algún tipo de renovación o rehabilitación de un edificio existente.

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The state has awarded $42.8 million to spur the development of three local affordable housing projects in California, including coastal apartments reserved for farmworkers and their families.

The funds will go toward helping build a total of 212 units for low-income residents in projects in Daly City, Burlingame and Moss Beach, with 18 new apartments for farmworkers.

According to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, the primary goal is to boost the supply of affordable housing in the area through development, preservation and protection.

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El pasado 11 de febrero, aproximadamente a las 16:00 horas, una mujer adulta fue víctima de agresión sexual en el condado de San Mateo en las escaleras que conducen a la playa en Gray Whale Cove en la zona no incorporada.

La Oficina del Sheriff del condado de San Mateo detalló que el sospechoso fue descrito como un hombre blanco en sus 30’s, aproximadamente 5’7″ de altura, con un poco de sobrepeso y con una «barriga cervecera», cabello castaño oscuro y barba castaña de longitud media. 

Cabe destacar que el agresor vestía una camiseta ajustada tipo spandex de color azul marino oscuro, pantalones holgados de algodón tipo jogger, sin calcetines ni zapatos.

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La alguacil del condado de San Mateo, Christina Corpus, anunció el lanzamiento de la ampliación de la Unidad de Salud Mental en la Correccional Maguire, ubicada en Redwood City. 

La Unidad de Salud mental ‒BHU, por sus siglas en inglés‒ es una colaboración entre la Oficina del Sheriff y Servicios de Salud Correccional diseñado para mejorar y ampliar el tratamiento de salud mental para las personas encarceladas. 

De igual manera, la Unidad busca mejorar los programas de tratamiento de salud mental en las cárceles y conectar a las personas que purgan una condena con los proveedores de servicios de salud mental en la comunidad para el apoyo posterior a la liberación.

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Un Centro de Recuperación por Desastre federal permanecerá abierto en el Centro de Eventos del Condado de San Mateo hasta el 14 de marzo para ayudar a los residentes afectados por las tormentas recientes a conocer la asistencia disponible.

Operado por la Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias y la Oficina de Servicios de Emergencia de California, el centro funcionará todos los días en el Centro de Eventos del Condado de San Mateo de 9:00 19:00 horas, incluidos los fines de semana. 

Sin embargo, es necesario tener en cuenta que centro cerrará a las 17:00 horas del martes 14 de marzo.

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You may be interested in: Wealth disparity in Silicon Valley deepens as poverty rises