Google, Meta and TikTok Sue to Block California Child Safety Law

California passed a law aimed at restricting social media features considered addictive for children under 16, according to Deadline Hollywood. The dispute concerns how platforms serve young users, rather than a blanket ban on children using social media.

Engadget identified the measure as Assembly Bill 1709 and reported that it requires platforms to remove "psychologically exploitative features." The New York Post reported that the law is scheduled to take effect January 1.

On November 5, coverage reported that Google, Meta and TikTok had each filed a separate lawsuit seeking to block the law. The New York Times placed the cases against a broader backdrop of claims that the companies' services are addictive.

The companies' central argument is constitutional. According to The Independent, the firms said the law violates the First Amendment's free speech protections. That is their legal claim, not a court finding.

On November 6, TechCrunch reported that the lawsuits target California's attorney general and described the measure as restricting social media access for children under 16 if it takes effect next year.

The companies are seeking to stop the law, but the supplied coverage reports no definitive resolution. It does not establish that a court has blocked the restrictions or ruled on the First Amendment arguments.

The immediate dispute is therefore about whether California can put the requirements into effect as scheduled. The law's stated child safety purpose and the companies' free speech objections remain competing positions in an unresolved legal fight.

The next question is whether a court blocks implementation before January 1. Any ruling would also clarify how the First Amendment applies to California's effort to restrict features it considers harmful to young users.