Google, Meta, and TikTok sue California AG to block teen social media law
Three major platforms filed separate lawsuits on Wednesday to stop AB 1709, arguing it violates free speech rights and overrides parental judgment.
Google (owned by Alphabet), Meta, and TikTok have filed separate lawsuits in US federal courts against California Attorney General Rob Bonta to block the enforcement of Assembly Bill 1709, a new state law designed to protect children under 16 from addictive social media features.
The law prohibits platforms from offering "psychologically exploitative features" such as personalized recommendations and autoplay to minors, and requires the deletion of children's accounts with those features. In their filings, the companies argued that the law violates the First Amendment's free speech protections and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. They contended that the statute wrongly compels them to adopt California's preferred methods of content presentation and substitutes the state's judgment for that of parents.
A Google spokesperson stated that overly broad laws break systems built to help kids find age-appropriate content. Meta argued that the state cannot override its editorial judgments about how to curate billions of posts. TikTok claimed that protected speech cannot be suppressed solely to shield young people from ideas deemed unsuitable by a legislative body.
The office of Attorney General Bonta said it was reviewing the lawsuits and remains committed to defending the law. Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September, AB 1709 is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, unless a judge voids it or issues a stay. This legal challenge follows recent settlements where Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to resolve similar claims from nearly all US states.