Google, Meta and TikTok Sue California Over Child Social Media Law

The Lawsuits

Google, Meta and TikTok filed separate lawsuits in federal court on Wednesday to block California's Assembly Bill 1709, a law restricting social media platforms from offering "addictive" features to children under 16. The law is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

The companies argue the law violates the First Amendment and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. They filed in federal courts in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose, California.

What the Law Requires

Assembly Bill 1709, introduced by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 10, prohibits social media sites from providing features such as autoplay and recommended content displays to users under 16. It also requires age verification to ensure those under 16 are not given access to the addictive features.

The law bans features including autoplay, infinite scrolling and personalized feeds for minors. TikTok's lawsuit notes that the law restricts addictive features regardless of whether parental consent is obtained, going further than a similar 2024 bill, Senate Bill 976, which is also being challenged in court.

Company Arguments

Meta's legal team wrote that the law would prohibit personalized feeds and autoplay to minors, and that Meta's feeds receive First Amendment protection because they are the product of Meta's "expressive choices."

TikTok argued that the law would prohibit its "For You" feature for children, something it says is editorial discretion protected by the First Amendment. TikTok's legal team wrote: "By prohibiting TikTok from delivering to under-sixteen users the curated compilations of videos it creates for them, and by dictating how TikTok may present those videos, the Act runs headlong into the First Amendment."

Google claimed the law would ban features like YouTube's recommendation system and autoplay feature, even though it works "the way television always has—when one program ends, the next begins."

Response from California

A spokesperson for California Attorney General Rob Bonta said: "We are reviewing the filing. Our office is committed to defending California's common sense laws to protect kids online."

Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal said in a statement that the lawsuit "comes straight out of Meta's playbook." He added: "Let's take stock of where we are: our courts have found platforms liable for addicting kids, our Legislature acts unanimously to implement sensible guardrails to fix it, and Meta would rather sue the state than lean into what California families overwhelmingly want."

Why it matters

The lawsuits represent a major legal challenge to one of Governor Newsom's marquee policy achievements in his final year. California is home to some of the biggest social media companies, which increasingly face lawsuits over their products' effects on children's mental health. The outcome could shape how states regulate social media features for minors nationwide.

Sources

• deadline.com: Google, TikTik And Meta Sue To Block California's Social Media Law
• abc7news.com: Google, Meta and TikTok sue California over law designed to protect children from social media harms - ABC7 San Francisco
• latimes.com: Meta and social media companies sue California over new restrictions - Los Angeles Times
• theguardian.com: Google, Meta and TikTok sue California to block law protecting children from addiction risk | Technology | The Guardian
• politico.com: Meta, TikTok, Google sue to block California teen social media law championed by Newsom - POLITICO
• sfchronicle.com: Social media companies sue to block California law limiting kids' use

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.