Long Beach Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal told NBC4 about the core conflict as Google, Meta, and TikTok launched separate lawsuits against California.
The tech giants are moving to block Assembly Bill 1709, a state law scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, unless a judge voids or puts it on hold. Authored by Lowenthal and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 10, the legislation targets four specific features used by social media platforms to keep users under 16 engaged: infinite scrolling, autoplay, recommendation algorithms, and notifications.
The law prohibits platforms from offering underage children psychologically exploitative features that could lead to compulsive use, while also requiring the deletion of children’s accounts utilizing those tools. In court filings, the companies argue that the state is overstepping its constitutional authority by dictating how online content is organized and displayed.
“Parents are best positioned to make the right decisions for their families,” Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson, said, adding that overly broad legislation breaks existing tools designed to help children find age-appropriate videos. Google owns YouTube and is a unit of Alphabet, while Meta owns Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok operates as a unit of China’s ByteDance.
Meta argued in its lawsuit that California cannot override editorial judgments regarding billions of posts while leaving children free to use other platforms. TikTok stated that protected speech cannot be suppressed merely to protect the young from ideas or images a legislative body deems unsuitable. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy group, also criticized the measure as a massive privacy and free speech nightmare.
Defending the legislation, Lowenthal rejected the assertion that the law violates the First Amendment. Lowenthal accused the tech companies of using strategic litigation to delay enforcement and continue generating billions in revenue. The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the sole defendant in the lawsuits, announced that it is reviewing the filings and remains committed to defending the state’s online protections for children.
Earlier coverage: Meta, Google, and TikTok Sue California Over Teen Social Media Law
