Google, Meta and TikTok sue California over law designed to protect children from social media harms

Google, Meta, and TikTok filed separate lawsuits seeking to block a California law designed to protect children from the risks of social media, arguing that it violates their First Amendment rights.

The law, which is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2027, prohibits tech companies from offering addictive feeds, endless scrolling, and autoplayed videos to kids under 16. They must also implement “reasonable measures” to make sure those under 16 are not given access to the addictive features by verifying users’ ages. Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law in September.

The companies each filed their lawsuits in federal courts in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Jose, California. In addition to the First Amendment, TikTok, Meta, and Google argue that the law violates Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which shields tech companies from liability for material posted on their sites by third parties.