By Rachael MyrowRachael Myrow
Publication Date: 2026-11-06 23:52:00
AB 1709, set to take effect January 1, bars features like personal recommendations and autoplay for videos, out of concern they foster compulsive use by children under 16. But in a federal lawsuit this week, Google, Meta and TikTok argue the new law violates their First Amendment rights.
A 14-year-old boy holds an iPhone with various social media and messaging apps on Feb. 23, 2026. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
Three social media giants turned to the courts this week to contest a single California law set to go into effect in January.
In separate lawsuits filed Wednesday, Google, Meta and TikTok said Assembly Bill 1709 wrongly compels them to honor California’s preferred means of presenting content to children, and substitutes the state’s judgment for that of parents. The law prohibits social media platforms from offering children things like personalized feeds and autoplay for videos. It also requires the deletion of children’s accounts with those…
