Google, Meta and TikTok sue California over law limiting addictive features for children

Google, Meta and TikTok sued California on Wednesday to block a new law that bars social media platforms from offering addictive features such as autoplay and recommended content to users under 16. The law, Assembly Bill 1709, was introduced by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach). The companies filed separate suits in federal court, with Meta and Google/YouTube in the Northern District of California and TikTok in the Central District. They cite First Amendment free speech protections and the Communications Decency Act, which shields platforms from lawsuits over third-party content. Meta's attorneys argue the state cannot act as the editor and controller of online speech. A representative for Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office is reviewing the litigation.

Just the News, the right-leaning source, leads with addiction claims and the ban on autoplay and recommended content, and features a Google spokesman's view that parents are best placed to make family decisions. It adds Google's existing protections, such as blocking autoplay on child accounts, and links the suit to Snapchat's settlement earlier that week in a related teen case, a link other outlets omit. The Los Angeles Times, the left-leaning source, leads with the suit and the companies' legal arguments, featuring Meta's attorneys and the attorney general's review, and omits the companies' product defenses. Deadline, the alternative source, stresses Google's claim that the law would ban YouTube's recommendation system. All three agree on the lawsuits, the bill's features and the First Amendment argument; they differ on parental control and the Snapchat case versus legal arguments and the state's response.