Social Media Giants Challenge California Law Restricting Features for Minors, Citing First Amendment
Meta, Google, and TikTok have filed separate federal lawsuits against the state of California, seeking to prevent the enforcement of Assembly Bill 1709. This legislation, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 10, 2026, and scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, prohibits social media platforms from offering certain features deemed 'psychologically exploitative' to users under 16. These features include personalized content recommendations and automatic video playback. The law also mandates the removal of accounts belonging to children who continue to use these prohibited features. The companies argue that the law violates the First Amendment's protections for freedom of speech and conflicts with Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act. They contend that decisions regarding content recommendations and feed organization are editorial judgments protected by the Constitution. NetChoice, a technology trade association, has publicly supported these lawsuits, asserting that C...
