What just happened? Google, Meta, and TikTok are taking California to court over its latest attempt to keep children from getting hooked on social media. The companies have filed separate lawsuits challenging a law that restricts addictive features for children under-16, arguing that the state is interfering with free speech and parents' authority.
The complaints, filed Wednesday, target Assembly Bill 1709. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the measure on September 10 as part of a broader package covering social media and AI chatbot safety. It's scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.
The restrictions cover personalized feeds, endless scrolling, and autoplay videos, all defined as "psychologically exploitative features." Platforms must also take reasonable steps to verify users' ages. The aim is to stop companies from pushing features designed to keep children scrolling long after they intended to put their phones down, which sounds like a good thing.
According to Reuters, the companies argue that California is dictating how they present content and replacing parents' judgment with its own. Their challenges invoke the First Amendment and the often-used Section 230, which broadly protects platforms from liability for user-generated content.
Meta says the state cannot override its editorial decisions about organizing and displaying posts. Google argues that the restrictions could undermine systems that help children find appropriate videos, while TikTok says they interfere with free expression and parental choice.
Google also says parents are the ones who should decide what is appropriate for their families, pointing to its existing parental controls and protections.
"Overly broad laws like this actually break the systems we've built to help kids find high-quality, age-appropriate videos," Google spokesman José Castañeda said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office told The Guardian it was reviewing the lawsuits and would defend the state's child-protection laws.
It's not just the social media giants expressing opposition to the law. The Electronic Frontier Foundation warns that age checks could push everyone to hand over more personal information. It also argues that removing recommendation tools could effectively shut young people out of online communities.
The fight follows Meta's August agreement to pay up to $18 billion and change how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram to settle states' child-safety claims. Those changes include default time limits and mandatory scrolling breaks.
Much of the world is now introducing restrictions or bans on social media use for young people. In Australia, which was the first country to introduce such a law, Reddit challenged its under-16 ban in the High Court, arguing that it restricts political communication and that the platform isn't actually a social media site.
