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

Meta, Google and TikTok have filed separate lawsuits seeking to block a California law that would restrict features designed to keep children scrolling. The legal challenge puts some of the most familiar parts of social media, from personalised feeds to autoplay, at the centre of a fight over child safety and free expression.

The legislation, Assembly Bill 1709, is due to take effect on 1 January 2027. It targets what the state calls psychologically exploitative features for users under 16 and requires platforms to take reasonable steps to determine whether a user is a child. The companies argue that the law interferes with their editorial decisions and violates US constitutional protections. California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office says it is reviewing the complaints and intends to defend the state’s child-safety laws.

For a young user, the dispute is less abstract than the legal language suggests. A platform could have to change how it recommends the next video, whether another clip plays automatically and how a feed encourages repeated viewing. These design choices are central to how Instagram, YouTube and TikTok retain attention, sell advertising and measure engagement.

The measure is not yet in force, and the lawsuits do not mean the companies have won. Judges will have to weigh the state’s interest in protecting minors against the platforms’ arguments about speech and federal liability protections. The cases are separate, so their arguments and outcomes need not be identical.

According to Associated Press reporting on the filings, Meta, Google and TikTok brought their challenges in different federal courts in California. Reuters identifies the measure as AB 1709 and reports that it covers personalised recommendations and autoplay. The law follows other efforts to regulate online services used by children, but this challenge focuses squarely on the mechanics of the feed.

A court decision could influence how far governments can go in regulating platform design rather than merely requiring disclosures or parental controls. If the law survives, large platforms may need different product experiences for younger users in California, with implications for age checks and engineering across their services. If the companies prevail, other governments considering similar restrictions may have to rethink their approach.

For now, the key distinction is that California has proposed a change to product features, not a blanket prohibition on teenagers using social media. The question before the courts is whether it can require that change. TechBooky will follow the rulings and any revised compliance plans as the January start date approaches.