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Google, Meta and TikTok sue California over law designed to protect children from social media harms
Compiled Nov 5
What happened
Google, Meta and TikTok filed separate lawsuits seeking to block a California law designed to protect children from social media risks.
The detail
The law prohibits tech companies from offering addictive feeds, endless scrolling and autoplayed videos to users under 16, and requires age verification measures.
The detail
The law is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September.
The detail
The lawsuits were filed in federal courts in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose, California.
How it unfolded
August: Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion and add child-safety measures as part of a settlement over teen social media addiction claims. · September: Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the California law restricting addictive social media features for minors. · September: TikTok settled with Alabama over addictive features. · Thursday: California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said it was reviewing the companies' lawsuit filings. · Jan. 1, 2027: The California law is scheduled to go into effect.
By the numbers
Jan. 1, 2027 effective date · 16 age threshold · $18 billion Meta settlement amount · 1996 year of Communications Decency Act
Still unresolved
California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said it was still reviewing the lawsuit filings.