Meta, Google, and TikTok sue California AG over teen social media law
Meta, Google, and TikTok have filed lawsuits against California's Attorney General to block a new law that restricts addictive social media features for users under 16. The companies argue the law violates the First Amendment and interferes with their editorial content curation.
Why it matters
The outcome of this legal battle will set a major precedent for how states can regulate social media platforms and protect teen mental health.
Meta, Google, and TikTok have each filed lawsuits against California Attorney General Rob Bonta in an attempt to block a law that restricts social media features it deems addictive for users under 16.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill, known as AB 1709 , into law in September, and it’s slated to take effect at the start of the new year.
The law prohibits social platforms from offering autoplay videos and personalized feeds to users under 16, and it requires the platforms to delete these users’ accounts if they don’t turn those features off. If platforms do not comply, they could be liable for fines of up to $50,000 per affected user under 16 years old.
Meta claims that AB 1709 violates the First Amendment by overriding its editorial decisions about how to display content, adding that Section 230 preempts the law. TikTok and Google made similar arguments.
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