Three of the world’s biggest technology companies are heading to federal court to fight a California law designed to shield children from the addictive pull of social media.
Meta, Google, and TikTok filed separate lawsuits this week challenging a measure signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this year that would bar social platforms from offering certain “addictive” design features to users under 16. The law is scheduled to take effect in January, and the tech companies are asking courts to stop it before then.
At issue are features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithm-driven content recommendations — tools that researchers and lawmakers have increasingly linked to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and compulsive phone use among adolescents. The law was one of several measures California adopted this year aimed at tightening protections for young people online.
In its complaint, Meta argues the law tramples on free speech protections, accusing the state of trying to position itself as “the editor, curator, and controller of online speech.” Google, which operates YouTube, makes a similar case, contending the restrictions would undercut the company’s efforts to deliver “safe, responsible, and enriching experiences” to younger users on its platform.
All three companies are asking federal judges to block enforcement of the law, framing it as government overreach into constitutionally protected expression.
The legal battle echoes concerns raised earlier this year by some unlikely allies of the tech industry. During legislative debate over the bill, digital rights advocates including the Electronic Frontier Foundation warned that the law’s broad scope could effectively amount to a social media ban for teenagers, since the targeted features are so deeply woven into how these platforms function. Critics argued that teens could lose access to valuable online communities and resources as a result.
NetChoice, a trade group representing major tech firms, echoed that argument this week in a statement backing the lawsuits, saying the state has no authority to cut off minors from constitutionally protected content simply because officials view it as harmful.
But supporters of the law aren’t backing down. The Electronic Privacy Information Center, which championed the legislation, pointed to a string of recent court rulings that have rejected similar First Amendment arguments from the tech industry in other cases, suggesting this challenge may face an uphill climb.
The lawsuits land at a particularly fraught moment for the social media industry, which has come under mounting pressure over its handling of young users’ mental health. Just months ago, Meta agreed to pay up to $17 billion as part of a sweeping settlement with 47 states that had accused the company of deliberately designing its products to hook children and teenagers.
TikTok did not respond to a request for comment on the litigation. A Meta representative declined to go on record. Google spokesperson José Castañeda defended the company’s existing safety tools in a statement, saying, “We believe parents are best positioned to make the right decisions for their families, which is why we offer a range of protections and tools that put parents in control.” He added that broad regulations like California’s new law risk dismantling systems Google has built to help children find age-appropriate content.
The case now moves to federal courts across California, where judges will weigh whether the state’s effort to rein in addictive app design can withstand a constitutional challenge before the law is set to take effect at the start of the new year.
Original source: CalMatters
