Google, Meta and TikTok have filed separate federal lawsuits seeking to block a California law that bars social media platforms from offering users under 16 features the state calls psychologically exploitative, escalating a fight over who decides what young people see online.
The companies sued on Wednesday in three different federal courts — Google in San Jose, Meta in San Francisco and TikTok in Los Angeles — targeting Assembly Bill 1709, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed on September 10. The law is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
The law prohibits platforms from offering users under 16 personalized recommendations, autoplayed videos and other features the attorney general deems addictive. Platforms must verify users' ages and delete the accounts of anyone under 16 unless those accounts are stripped of the restricted features. Violations can bring penalties of up to $50,000 per affected minor for knowing violations and $25,000 for negligent ones.
The companies argue the law violates the First Amendment by dictating how they select and present content, and that it is preempted by Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act. "The state cannot, consistent with the First Amendment, override Meta's editorial judgments about how to curate and display billions of posts of third-party speech," Meta said in its filing.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the defendant in each case, said his office was reviewing the lawsuits and remained committed to defending state laws that protect children online. The law goes further than a 2024 California law, SB 976, which barred personalized feeds for users under 18 without parental consent; the companies are already challenging that law at the Ninth Circuit.
The lawsuits come months after Meta agreed in August to pay up to $18 billion to settle a landmark case over children's privacy and social media addiction, ending a trial over claims filed by nearly every state.
