Google, Meta and TikTok filed separate federal lawsuits on November 4, 2026, challenging California Assembly Bill 1709 (AB 1709). The law targets certain social-media features for users under 16 and is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027. The companies argue that the restrictions violate the First Amendment and Section 230, but those are legal claims, not court rulings.
What AB 1709 would restrict
The law addresses personalized recommendations, infinite scrolling and autoplay for users younger than 16. It does not amount to a blanket ban on teen social-media accounts: platforms could continue serving minors if they adapt the specified features. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1709 on September 10, 2026. The law’s reported maximum civil penalty is $50,000 per affected minor.
A lawsuit challenges a law; it does not decide whether the law is constitutional.
The companies’ arguments and California’s response
Google, Meta and TikTok invoke First Amendment protections for speech and Section 230, a federal law concerning online services’ liability for third-party content. TikTok argues that restrictions on content curation limit free expression. Google says the law could interfere with systems it uses to help children find age-appropriate videos.
Meta says the law could leave it choosing between removing features it considers age-appropriate and cutting thousands of California teens off from family, friends and their communities. That is the company’s prediction about the law’s effects, not a court finding.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office was reviewing the lawsuits and said it remained committed to defending state laws intended to protect children online.
The reported status and effective date
As of the November 5–6, 2026, reporting, no court ruling on AB 1709’s constitutionality had been reported. The law was scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027.
