Social media giants sue California to overturn law shielding kids 15 and under from compulsive use
Meta, TikTok and Google have filed lawsuits to prevent enforcement of California's Assembly Bill 1709, which aims to protect children 15 and younger from compulsive social media use.
Assembly Bill 1709, scheduled to take effect January 1, prohibits platforms from using features deemed "psychologically exploitative." The three tech giants filed separate but coordinated lawsuits in California federal courts this week, with Google's parent Alphabet suing in San Jose, Meta in San Francisco, and TikTok in Los Angeles.
Legal Arguments
The companies contend the law violates constitutional free speech principles and improperly allows state oversight of decisions they believe should be left to parents. They also argue the measure conflicts with Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields platforms from liability for user-generated content.
Parents are best positioned to make the right decisions for their families, which is why we offer a range of protections and tools that put parents in control.
State Response
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has vowed to defend the legislation, which Governor Newsom signed in September. Newsom previously stated the state would not stand by while unregulated technology puts our children at risk. The tech firms counter that overly broad laws could disrupt systems designed to help children find age-appropriate content.
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