The lawsuits target California's AB 1709, which requires online platforms to disable algorithmic personalized feeds and video autoplay for users under 16. Companies that refuse or fail to strip these engagement features must eliminate the minors' accounts or risk penalties reaching up to $50,000 per user. Platforms argue the mandate ignores current parental oversight tools and conflicts with federal protections under Section 230. Meanwhile, privacy advocates share concerns that enforcing compliance will necessitate invasive age-verification practices that compromise user privacy.
Key points
The lawsuits assert that the California legislation infringes upon corporate First Amendm…: The lawsuits assert that the California legislation infringes upon corporate First Amendment rights and is preempted by Section 230.
Platforms contend the law disregards existing parental control tools, such as default aut…: Platforms contend the law disregards existing parental control tools, such as default autoplay disabling for minors on YouTube.
The California legal battle reflects an expanding global push to regulate youth social me…: The California legal battle reflects an expanding global push to regulate youth social media use, alongside similar measures in Australia and France.
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Meta, Google, and TikTok have each filed lawsuits against California Attorney General Rob Bonta in an attempt to block a law that restricts social media features it deems addictive for users under 16.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill, known as AB 1709, into law in September, and it’s slated to take effect at the start of the new year.
The law prohibits social platforms from offering autoplay videos and personalized feeds to users under 16, and it requires the platforms to delete these users’ accounts if they don’t turn those features off. If platforms do not comply, they could be liable for fines of up to $50,000 per affected user under 16 years old.
Meta claims that AB 1709 violates the First Amendment by overriding its editorial decisions about how to display content, adding that Section 230 preempts the law. TikTok and Google made similar arguments.
“Meta currently organizes its feeds of content to include personalized content recommendations and to automatically play media, [so] the Act would make it unlawful for Meta to disseminate speech to minors altogether,…
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