Meta, Google, and TikTok each filed lawsuits in November 2026 against California Attorney General Rob Bonta, seeking to block a state law that restricts social media features for users under 16.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill, AB 1709, into law in September 2026. It is scheduled to take effect at the start of 2027. The law prohibits social platforms from offering autoplay videos and personalized feeds to users under 16, and requires platforms to delete accounts belonging to those users if the features are not disabled. Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to $50,000 per affected user under 16.
All three companies argue the law violates the First Amendment. Meta contends that AB 1709 overrides its editorial decisions about how content is displayed and that Section 230 preempts the law. In its lawsuit, Meta wrote that the act would make it “unlawful for Meta to disseminate speech to minors altogether” unless it changes its current practices. TikTok called the law “a blatantly unconstitutional restriction on free expression.” Google noted that autoplay is already off by default for minors on YouTube, and said the law would undermine parental control tools the company has built.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation also criticized the law, with Associate Director of State Affairs Rindala Alajaji arguing that AB 1709 would compel platforms to collect more data from all users in order to verify ages, expanding online surveillance rather than limiting it.
AB 1709 is part of a broader global trend of legislation aimed at reducing teen social media use to improve mental health outcomes. Australia became the first country to ban social media for users under 16 in December 2025, while France passed a similar law that was subsequently struck down by its top court over free expression concerns.
The lawsuits come as Meta separately agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle children’s safety claims brought by 29 U.S. states. A representative for Attorney General Bonta said his office is reviewing the filings and remains committed to defending the law.
Source: TechCrunch