New California law bans loud ads on streaming services for ‘peace and quiet’

Legislation was written by lawmaker whose aide had complained about ad breaks startling his newborn daughter

California ordered its powerful entertainment industry to turn down the volume on Monday, with a new law that requires streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and YouTube to ensure that audio levels do not suddenly skyrocket during commercial breaks.

The legislation, signed into state law by the governor, Gavin Newsom, forces the powerful streaming platforms to comply with existing regulations that have barred television broadcasters from bombarding the eardrums of viewers with overly loud commercials since 2010.