Wire reporting: (AP, via ABC7 News Bay Area)

Meta, Google and TikTok filed separate federal lawsuits this week seeking to block California Assembly Bill 1709, a law signed in September that would restrict autoplay, personalized recommendation feeds and similar features for social media users under 16 starting Jan. 1, 2027^1,2,6.

The companies named Attorney General Rob Bonta as defendant and asked courts to stop enforcement before the effective date^2,5. Alphabet filed in San Jose, Meta in San Francisco and TikTok in Los Angeles^6,8.

AB 1709 defines covered design choices as psychologically exploitative features that can encourage compulsive use, including autoplay and feeds that rank content using account or device data^3,5. Platforms must take reasonable steps, including age assurance, so users under 16 do not receive those features⁵.

The statute does not ban under-16 accounts if the restricted features are turned off; otherwise, platforms would have to delete those accounts^2,5. Knowing violations can draw civil penalties of up to $50,000 per affected minor, with lower amounts for negligent ones^2,5.

The companies argue the law violates the First Amendment by overriding editorial choices about how to organize and display speech, and that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act preempts it^1,2,6. Meta's complaint says the measure would make the state "the editor, curator, and controller of online speech"¹.

A Google spokesperson said parents are best positioned to decide for their families and that overly broad laws can break systems built to help children find age-appropriate videos^1,2. TechCrunch quoted TikTok calling the measure an unconstitutional limit on curating content by user preference².

Bonta's office said it was reviewing the filings and remained committed to defending California laws meant to protect children online^2,6. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who signed the bill, had said the state would not stand by while unregulated technology put children at risk^3,6.

Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, the bill's author, has said autoplay and similar features are not appropriate for a developing brain^5,8. Digital-rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation warned the law could function as a social media ban for teens under 16 and that age checks could force more data collection from all users^1,2.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center, which supports the law, said courts have been rejecting industry claims that the First Amendment bars accountability¹. NetChoice backed the lawsuits¹.

California already enacted Senate Bill 976, which limits some addictive feeds for minors without verified parental consent; companies challenged that law too, and a federal judge in August 2026 declined to block its personalized-feed rules pending appeal^5,8. AB 1709 goes further by barring the features even with parental consent⁵.

What the courts will do before Jan. 1, 2027, including whether they issue injunctions, is not yet known⁵.