Technologies
New California Law Tells Loud Ads on Streaming Services to Pipe Down
The law will affect video services including Hulu, YouTube and the ad-supported tier of Netflix.
A new law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom will outlaw advertisements on streaming platforms that are louder than the content they’re sandwiched between.
Senate Bill 76, which goes into effect July 1, 2026, outlaws ads that are set at a louder volume than other content on streaming services such as YouTube, Hulu or Netflix’s ad-supported tier. It specifically doesn’t affect broadcasters because there’s already an existing national law, the CALM Act (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act) from 2012 that serves the same purpose for that type of programming.
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Playing ads that are louder than other content is one way to draw attention from viewers. But according to California state senator Tom Umberg, a Democrat from Santa Ana who authored the bill, they’re the scourge of parents and many others. Umberg said the bill was inspired by his legislative director, whose newborn baby was woken up by loud ads.
«This 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,» Umberg said after the bill was passed, as reported by The Guardian.
According to the text of the legislation, the rules will pertain to «a video streaming service, as defined, that serves consumers in the state from transmitting the audio of commercial advertisements louder than the video content the advertisements accompany.»
A number of major streaming video services are owned by companies based in California, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, YouTube and HBO Max, owned by Warner Bros Discovery.
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Technologies
My 3 Favorite Bose Headphones Deals on Amazon Aren’t Actually From Bose
Baseus’ Inspire XH1, XP1 and XC1 headphones with Sound by Bose are up to 23% off during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. A bonus item makes the deal even harder to ignore.
I gave CNET Editors’ Choice awards to Baseus’ Bose-infused Baseus Inspire XH1 headphones and Inspire XP1 earbuds because they’re well designed and sound decent consider their prices. I also liked Baseus’ Inspire XC1 clip-on earbuds, which have dual drivers. They even earned a spot on CNET’s best clip-on earbuds list and are probably the best clip-on buds at their price right now.
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale just kicked off, and it’ll be around through March 31. Right now, all three models are discounted to $100 to $123, bringing them near their all-time low prices.
That’s a deal I’d highlight on its own, but if you click through to any of those models’ Amazon product pages and look closely, you’ll see that each is eligible for «one free item» with purchase.
Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds of 2026
You must click the how to claim link first. Then click a button on the left side of the screen (above the stars for average ratings) to switch the view from «qualifying items» to «benefit items» and see the freebie. The items tend to be Baseus’ entry-level headphones or earbuds, but if you don’t like the free item option with a $120 purchase, you can try the options at lower prices.
You can read my full reviews of the Inspire XH1 headphones here and the Inspire XP1 earbuds here. And here’s my quick take on the Inspire XC1 earbuds:
Like Baseus’ noise-isolating Inspire XP1 earbuds, which I rated highly, the Inspire XC1 have Sound by Bose and a more premium design than earlier Baseus earbuds. The XC1 don’t sound as good as the XP1, they’re decent open earbuds and are equipped with dual drivers (one is a Knowles balanced-armature driver that helps improve treble performance). While they don’t produce as much bass as noise-isolating earbuds like the Inspire XP1, their bass performance is better than I expected. The buds’ sound is pretty full, especially in quieter environments, though they do better with less bass-heavy material. I did notice a bit of distortion at higher volumes with certain tracks that feature harder-driving bass.
While I slightly prefer the design and fit of Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds, as well as the design of their case, and think the Bose buds sound more natural and a tad better overall, the much more affordable Inspire XC1 fit comfortably and offer top-tier sound for clip-on open earbuds, as well as decent voice-calling performance with good background noise reduction. And they play louder than the Bose, too.
You can grab the Inspire XH1 for $123, the XP1 for $100 and the XC1 for $110, saving you up to 23%. Just remember to claim your free item with your purchase.
Read more: Best Headphones We’ve Tested
HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK
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$248 (save $152)
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$170 (save $181)
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$398 (save $62)
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$200 (save $250)
For other audio deals happening now, our CNET shopping experts have rounded up headphones, speakers and earbuds deals across a variety of brands and budgets.
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