Google, Meta and TikTok have filed separate lawsuits to block California's AB 1709, which would restrict addictive social media features for users under 16 starting January 1, 2027.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Google, Meta and TikTok have each filed separate lawsuits against California's attorney general, Rob Bonta, to block Assembly Bill 1709 from taking effect on January 1, 2027. The law would prohibit platforms from providing "addictive" features to users under 16, including infinite scroll, autoplay, and recommendation algorithms.
The companies filed their complaints in federal courts in California. Meta Platforms, as well as Google and YouTube, filed in the Northern District of California. TikTok filed in the Central District in downtown Los Angeles.
Meta argued that California's attempt to "appoint the state as the editor, curator and controller of online speech" and "override Meta's editorial judgment" about how to display user posts violates the Constitution. Meta's lawsuit claims the law makes California "the editor, curator, and controller of online speech."
Google, which owns YouTube, said parents should have the final say over their children's online experiences. "We believe parents are best positioned to make the right decisions for their families, which is why we offer a range of protections and tools that put parents in control. Overly broad laws like this actually break the systems we’ve built to help kids find high-quality, age-appropriate videos," a Google spokesperson said.
TikTok argued that AB 1709 is "a blatantly unconstitutional restriction on free expression that erodes the long-standing and protected practice of curating content based on user preferences, which book stores, TV networks and streaming services all use."
AB 1709 was authored by Long Beach Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 10. The legislation targets four features commonly used by social media platforms: infinite scrolling, autoplay, recommendation algorithms and notifications. The law would restrict the use of those features for users younger than 16.
Lowenthal said the goal is to prevent technology companies from using features he believes are deliberately designed to keep children engaged for extended periods. "We have a multi-trillion dollar sector that's mining our children's attention span for a profit," Lowenthal told NBC4. "And what this bill does is identifies the four harmful features the social media is utilizing to addict children: infinite scrolling, autoplay, algorithms, notifications."
The lawmaker said the legislation received unanimous bipartisan support in the California Legislature. He rejected the companies' argument that the law violates the First Amendment, saying, "We wrote this legislation specifically to comport with case precedent in this topic. That is specifically why we're not regulating content here on any circumstance at all. It is not about the First Amendment."
The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the defendant in each of the lawsuits, said it was reviewing the filings. "Our office is committed to defending California's commonsense laws to protect kids online," the office said in a statement to Reuters.
Meta agreed in August to pay as much as $17 billion as part of a settlement with 47 states that argued the company had engineered its products to be addictive to children. As part of that settlement, Meta agreed to limit teens' daily time spent on Instagram and Facebook to two hours; block access to both platforms overnight and during school hours; give teens the option to create a default non-algorithmic feed; and allow teens to turn off autoplay.
The lawsuits are the latest legal challenges in California's attempts to regulate social media platforms. In 2024, the state passed Senate Bill 976, which put a restriction on addictive social media feeds for minors without parental consent. This law has also faced legal challenges. California joined 32 other states in a 2023 federal lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company designed addictive features that harmed younger users' mental health.
The lawsuits could affect when or whether AB 1709's restrictions are enforced. The companies are seeking to block the law before it is scheduled to go into effect in January, and the outcome will depend on the courts' decisions.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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