Meta, Google and TikTok filed separate federal lawsuits Wednesday, November 4, 2026, seeking to block a California law that would prohibit addictive social media features for children under 16. The companies argue that the restrictions violate the First Amendment by allowing the state to control how online platforms recommend and display content.
Assembly Bill 1709, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, takes effect January 1, 2027. It prohibits features such as endless scrolling, autoplay videos and personalized recommendation feeds that lawmakers say encourage compulsive social media use among children.
Platforms must verify users' ages and prevent children under 16 from accessing those features. Younger users can retain accounts with the restricted functions disabled, while companies that continue offering them must delete the children's accounts and associated personal information.
Violations carry potential civil penalties of up to $50,000 per affected child for knowing violations and $25,000 for negligent violations. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and local prosecutors would have authority to enforce the restrictions.
The lawsuits, filed in federal courts in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose, accuse California of interfering with the companies' decisions about how content is selected, organized and presented to users. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, argues that the law would allow the government to dictate how online speech is displayed and shared.
Google, which owns YouTube, contends that removing personalized recommendations could undermine systems designed to help children find age-appropriate videos. TikTok argues that California is replacing parental judgment with government restrictions, including for families that have already enabled screen-time limits and other safety controls.
The companies also invoke Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, which generally protects online platforms from liability for user-generated content and certain decisions about moderating it. Their lawsuits contend that California's requirements conflict with those federal protections.
Bonta's office said it was reviewing the complaints and remained committed to defending California's online child safety laws.
Newsom signed AB 1709 on September 10 as part of a broader effort to address the effects of social media on children. Supporters argue that personalized feeds and other engagement features encourage prolonged use and expose younger users to potential mental health harms.
The latest challenges follow an earlier courtroom defeat for the same companies over California's Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, known as Senate Bill 976. That law restricts personalized feeds for minors while allowing access with verifiable parental consent. AB 1709 imposes a stricter prohibition for children under 16, regardless of parental approval.
On August 5, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila denied requests by Meta, TikTok and YouTube to temporarily block SB 976's personalized-feed restrictions, finding that the companies had failed to show those provisions were likely to violate their First Amendment rights.
Meta, TikTok and YouTube appealed that decision on August 11. Their new lawsuits challenge the broader restrictions in AB 1709, setting up another round of federal court proceedings over California's authority to regulate social media features before the January 1 enforcement deadline.
