Google, Meta and TikTok sue to block California youth law

Google, Meta and TikTok have filed separate federal lawsuits seeking to block California Assembly Bill 1709, a law restricting certain social media features for users under 16. The companies argue that the measure violates the First Amendment and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. No court has ruled on the challenges, and the law is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027. The lawsuits were filed in federal courts in San Jose, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Google filed in San Jose, Meta in San Francisco and TikTok in Los Angeles. The companies say the law interferes with platforms’ decisions about how to organize and present online content, and improperly limits choices by parents and young users. AB 1709 restricts features including autoplay and personalized recommendations for children under 16. Reports on the law also describe requirements for age verification and deletion of accounts using restricted features. The companies’ legal arguments focus on whether those rules regulate protected speech and platform curation; those assertions remain claims in their court filings, not judicial findings. Meta’s complaint argues that the state cannot override its...