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

Meta, Google and TikTok sued California on Wednesday, launching a coordinated legal assault against a new state law designed to shield children from "addictive" social media features. According to the New York Post ^[1], the tech giants argue that Assembly Bill 1709 unlawfully turns the state into an editor, curator and parent of online speech. The law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept. 10, prohibits platforms from offering personalized feeds, autoplay and other features deemed psychologically exploitative to users under 16.

The lawsuits, filed in federal courts in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles, seek to block the law’s Jan. 1 effective date. The Independent reported ^[2] that the legislation mandates the removal of young users' accounts if they contain these tools, with penalties reaching $50,000 per minor for knowing violations. The companies contend the law violates the First Amendment and is preempted by federal Section 230 protections, which shield platforms from liability for user-generated content.

Meta framed the dispute as a battle over editorial control. In its complaint, the company stated the law appoints the state as the controller of online speech, infringing on its right to curate and display content. Meta argued that banning autoplay forces users to take affirmative action before viewing expression, hindering free distribution. The company noted it plans to offer California teens default limits, including a two-hour daily cap and overnight blocks, which parents can adjust.

Google and YouTube challenged the premise that personalization is harmful. The company argued that without personalized feeds, the 20 million videos uploaded daily would be unusable for minors, who would struggle to find age-appropriate content among billions of adult-oriented videos. Google stated that autoplay is already off by default for users under 18 and criticized the state for failing to cite peer-reviewed studies linking personalization to harm.

TikTok, which filed in the Central District of California, described the law as a choice between deleting accounts or abandoning curation. The company, which says it has more than 200 million US users, argued the law is unconstitutionally vague and reaches beyond state lines, affecting California teens even when they travel. TikTok emphasized that its teen accounts already include over 50 safety settings and disabled direct messaging for under-16s since 2020.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office said it is reviewing the filings. A spokesperson told the New York Post ^[1] that the office is committed to defending "commonsense laws to protect kids online." The law goes further than the 2024 SB 976, which required parental consent for personalized feeds for those under 18. All three companies are also challenging SB 976 in the Ninth Circuit.