Explained: Google, Meta and TikTok sue California over law designed to protect children from social media harms

Google, Meta and TikTok filed separate lawsuits seeking to block a California law designed to protect children from social media risks.

Section 230

Part of the 1996 Communications Decency Act that shields tech companies from liability for content posted by third parties on their platforms.

First Amendment

The constitutional provision protecting freedom of speech, cited by the companies as a basis for challenging the law.

age verification

Measures companies must implement to confirm a user's age and restrict addictive features for those under 16.

autoplayed videos

Videos that play automatically without user action, one of the features the law seeks to restrict for minors.

addictive feeds

Content feeds designed to maximize user engagement, targeted by the California law for restriction among users under 16.