Google, Meta and TikTok Sue California Over Law Banning Addictive Social Media Features for Kids

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 5 (TodayViralUSA) — Google, Meta Platforms and TikTok filed separate federal lawsuits seeking to block a California law that would ban “addictive” social media features for users under 16, arguing the measure violates the First Amendment and conflicts with federal law.

Assembly Bill 1709, also called the Digital Age Assurance Act and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. It would prohibit platforms from offering algorithmic recommendation feeds, endless scrolling and autoplay video to minors and require “reasonable” age-verification measures.

Three companies, three courts

Google, which owns YouTube, sued in San Jose. Meta, parent of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, sued in San Francisco. TikTok sued in Los Angeles. All three say the statute overrides their editorial judgments about how to organize third-party content and strips parents of choices the companies already offer through family controls.

“Parents are best positioned to make the right decisions for their families,” Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said. “Overly broad laws like this actually break the systems we’ve built to help kids find high-quality, age-appropriate videos.”

TikTok argued that barring its “For You” feed for under-16 users “runs headlong into the First Amendment.” Meta said Supreme Court precedent protects the expressive choices platforms make when curating feeds. The companies also cite Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which generally shields online services from liability for user-posted material.

State vows to defend the law

Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office said it was reviewing the filings and remains “committed to defending California’s common sense laws to protect kids online.”

Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, the Long Beach Democrat who authored the bill, called the suits “straight out of Meta’s playbook,” saying courts have already found platforms liable for addicting children and that lawmakers acted to add guardrails.

Newsom, signing the bill in September, said California “will not stand by while unregulated technology puts our children at risk.” The Electronic Frontier Foundation has criticized the measure as a privacy and free-speech overreach. The companies still face thousands of lawsuits nationwide alleging social media addiction harmed young users’ mental health.