Meta, Google and TikTok challenge a California law on minors

Meta, Google and TikTok have each filed a lawsuit against California Attorney General Rob Bonta seeking to block law AB 1709, TechCrunch reports. The legislation targets certain social media features offered to users under 16.

The law prohibits autoplay videos and personalized feeds for these users. It requires platforms to delete their accounts if these features are not disabled. According to the article, companies that fail to comply with these obligations could face fines of up to $50,000 per affected user under 16.

Meta argues that the legislation violates the First Amendment by interfering with its editorial choices about how content is presented. The company also invokes preemption under Section 230. TikTok and Google make similar arguments. These positions constitute the platforms' legal arguments; they do not prejudge the court's decision.

The debate also concerns privacy. The EFF believes age checks could lead to more information being collected about all users. This criticism raises a question separate from recommendations: how can age-based protection be implemented without increasing data collection?

Rob Bonta's office says it is reviewing the lawsuits and intends to defend the law. The practical issue in the litigation will be determining what constraints can be imposed on interfaces and recommendation mechanisms intended for minors while respecting the rights invoked by the parties.