Meta, Google and TikTok Sue California Over Kid Feed Ban
Tech firms sue to stop a new law blocking personalised feeds and autoplay for under-16s.
TL;DR
- Meta, Google and TikTok filed lawsuits against California’s AB 1709 law.
- The law bans personalised feeds and autoplay for under-16s even with parent consent.
- Companies claim it violates First Amendment rights and Section 230 protections.
Meta, Google and TikTok have each filed lawsuits against California, challenging a new law that blocks personalised feeds and autoplay for users under 16.
The law, Assembly Bill 1709, was signed in September 2026 and starts in January 2027. It stops platforms from offering these features to minors even if parents agree. Breaking the rules can cost up to $50,000 per affected user.
The companies say the rules violate their First Amendment rights by telling them how to pick and show content. They also claim it clashes with Section 230 protections for online platforms.
Google argues the law takes choices away from parents and could push kids toward worse content without recommendations. It already turns autoplay off by default for under-18s.
“Assembly Bill 1709 (“AB 1709” or “the Act”) wrests control of what kids watch from their parents and gives it to the State”
Meta says the law lets the state act as editor for Facebook, Instagram and Threads. It plans to add a default two-hour daily limit for minors that parents can change.
TikTok warns the rules threaten its For You feed and points to its existing Family Pairing tools for parents.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation says the law could force platforms to collect more age data, hurting privacy for everyone.
The Tea
This fight shows the growing clash between child safety rules and how platforms curate what users see. Courts will decide who gets to control those choices.