Meta, Google and TikTok sue to block California AB 1709

As of 8:41 p.m. ET, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026

Meta, Google and TikTok each filed separate federal lawsuits seeking to block California’s Assembly Bill 1709, a youth social-media law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September and scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, according to the Associated Press and Courthouse News Service.

AB 1709 targets what the statute calls addictive features, including personalized recommendation feeds, infinite scrolling and autoplay, for users under 16. TechCrunch reported that platforms that do not turn those features off for that age group can face fines of up to $50,000 per affected user under 16, and that the law also presses platforms toward account deletion if the features remain on.

The companies name Attorney General Rob Bonta as defendant and ask the courts to block him from enforcing AB 1709, Courthouse News reported. Courthouse News and TechCrunch said the suits argue the law violates the First Amendment by restricting how platforms organize and display speech, and that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act preempts the state rules. A Meta spokesperson told Courthouse News the company is challenging the law because it “violates the First Amendment by letting the government dictate how ideas are organized, displayed or shared.” TikTok called the measure “a blatantly unconstitutional restriction on free expression.” Google said parents are “best positioned” to make decisions for their families and that “overly broad laws like this actually break the systems we’ve built to help kids find high quality, age-appropriate videos.”

Where the cases were filed

Meta and Google, the parent company of YouTube, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and TikTok filed in the Central District of California, Courthouse News reported.

A representative for Bonta’s office said the office is reviewing the filings and is “committed to defending California’s commonsense laws to protect kids online,” Courthouse News and TechCrunch reported. GROKsiNEWS.com found no reported ruling on the companies' requests as of Monday.