technology ·
Google, Meta and TikTok are all suing California to block social media law intended to help kids
Assembly Bill 1709 demands that platforms remove "psychologically exploitative features."
Vlad Deep/Unsplash Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover Google, Meta and TikTok are suing to block a recent California law that's intended to protect kids from some of the more harmful aspects of social media, according to Reuters. Assembly Bill 1709 is part of a larger package that Governor Gavin Newsom introduced earlier this year and it prohibits social media platforms from offering underage kids "psychologically exploitative features" that could lead to compulsive use.
This includes stuff like sending videos through autoplay and giving children under 16 personalized recommendations. The three social media giants say this is in violation of the First Amendment and Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, which has often been used to shield tech companies from liability.
The three companies filed separate suits at various courts throughout California. "The state cannot, consistent with the First Amendment, override Meta's editorial judgments," Meta wrote in its complaint.
Google and TikTok made similar arguments. Newsom said when he signed the law that children's safety should always come first when considering social media platforms in California. The state "will not stand by while unregulated technology puts our children at risk," he noted.
