Federal courts will weigh a bid to block a law signed in September
Google, Meta and TikTok have sued California to block a law restricting feeds and autoplay for children under 16 (U16). TF read the filings coverage. California’s attorney general will defend the law, which takes effect on 1 January 2027.
What’s Happening & Why It Matters
Three Lawsuits, One Law
Each company filed a separate case against California Attorney General Rob Bonta, according to Euronews and TechCrunch. The suits were filed in federal courts in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose. The law, AB 1709, per TechCrunch, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September.
The law bars platforms from offering personalised feeds and autoplay video to users U16. Euronews adds endless scrolling to the list. Platforms must take reasonable steps to verify ages. TechCrunch reports accounts must be deleted if children keep the features on. Fines reach $50,000 (about €44,500) per affected user.
What the Companies Argue
Meta (@Meta) says the First Amendment protects its editorial choices on displaying content, and Section 230 overrides the law. Meta says the law would force Meta to remove features or cut thousands of California teens off.
TikTok calls the law unconstitutional and says it erodes content curation to user tastes. Google says the law would break systems built to help children find age-appropriate videos. YouTube autoplay is off by default for minors, and parents can switch off Shorts, according to Google. All three point to parental controls.
The State and Privacy Groups Respond
Bonta’s office will review the filings and defend “commonsense laws” protecting children online. Rindala Alajaji of the Electronic Frontier Foundation says the law forces more data collection from every user, which threatens privacy.
The fight follows other cases. Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion (about €16 billion) to settle child-safety claims from 29 states. TikTok settled with Alabama over addictive features in September. Australia banned social media for U16s in December 2025, while France’s top court struck down a similar law. TF covered the EU debate in its Brussels story.
My take: Platforms will argue speech and publisher rights. California will argue design harm. The January start date puts a ruling on the clock.
TF Summary: What’s Next
Judges will weigh motions to block AB 1709 before 1 January 2027. Other states will watch the ruling before copying the law. The platforms will promote parental controls in the meantime.
MY FORECAST: A federal judge will pause part of the law before 1 January 2027. California will appeal any block. Other states will draft similar feed and autoplay bills in 2027.
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