Three tech giants sue California over new child safety rules

Google, Meta, and TikTok filed separate lawsuits in federal courts on Wednesday to stop a California law from taking effect next year. The companies argue the new rules violate their First Amendment rights. They also claim the law conflicts with Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act.

The California law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. It prohibits tech companies from showing addictive feeds, endless scrolling, and autoplayed videos to children under 16. The law requires companies to use reasonable measures to verify user ages to ensure younger children do not access these features.

The filings were submitted in federal courts in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Jose. Each company named California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office as the defendant. Bonta’s office said Thursday that it is reviewing the filings and remains committed to defending state laws designed to protect children online.

TikTok described the law as a restriction on free expression that erodes the practice of curating content based on user preferences. The company stated that it has already implemented numerous safety measures for kids. It added that the law disregards real progress in making teens safer online and takes away parents' rights to determine what is appropriate for their children.

Meta stated that the law lets the government dictate how ideas are organized, displayed, or shared with Californians. The company warned that it would be forced to remove features that keep teen experiences age-appropriate or cut thousands of California teens off from their communities. Meta said these features help teens connect with family and friends.

Google said it believes parents are in the best position to make decisions for their families. The company noted that it offers a range of parental control tools and protections. José Castañeda, a Google spokesman, said overly broad laws break the systems built to help kids find high-quality, age-appropriate videos.

The lawsuits come as tech companies face increasing scrutiny over their platforms’ effects on children. In August, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to Facebook and Instagram. That settlement ended a trial over teen social media addiction and resolved claims filed by nearly every state. In September, TikTok settled with Alabama over addictive features.