Google, Meta and TikTok sue California over law protecting children online

Google, Meta and TikTok have launched separate legal challenges against California in an attempt to block a new state law designed to limit the risk of social media addiction among users under 16. Known as Assembly Bill 1709, the legislation prohibits platforms from providing "psychologically exploitative features" such as autoplay videos and personalised content recommendations for minors. It also mandates the deletion of accounts belonging to children under 16 if such features are not disabled, with potential fines of up to $50,000 per affected user.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on 10 September, stating that child safety must be a priority and that the state would not remain idle while unregulated technology exposes children to risk. The law is currently scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027, unless it is voided or suspended by a court. The lawsuits were filed in federal courts, with Google suing in San Jose, Meta in San Francisco, and TikTok in Los Angeles, naming California Attorney General Rob Bonta as the defendant.

In their legal filings, the tech companies argue that the law violates the First Amendment protections regarding free speech and conflicts with Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, which generally shields online platforms from liability regarding user content. Meta stated that California cannot override its editorial discretion in curating billions of posts, while a TikTok spokesperson described the bill as a "blatantly unconstitutional restriction on free expression." Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda argued that the legislation is overly broad and would "break the systems we’ve built to help kids find high-quality, age-appropriate videos," adding that parents should be the ones making decisions for their families.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has criticised the law as a "massive privacy and free speech nightmare," with Associate Director of State Affairs Rindala Alajaji warning that the bill could compromise user anonymity by requiring increased data collection for age verification. Meanwhile, a representative for Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that the office is reviewing the lawsuits and remains committed to "defending California’s commonsense laws to protect kids online."

These companies currently face thousands of separate lawsuits from school districts, municipalities and individuals alleging that social media platforms have caused a mental health crisis. Meta recently agreed to pay up to $18bn to settle claims brought by nearly all US states regarding children’s privacy and safety. Globally, other jurisdictions are also addressing the issue, with Australia having introduced a ban on social media for children under 16.