Judges Sides with EPIC and AG, Telling Google, TikTok, and Meta Their Addictive Social Media Features Are Not 1A Speech
A federal judge ruled against TikTok, Meta, and Google in a challenge to California's SB 976, finding that algorithmically engineered, addictive social media feeds shown to minors are not protected speech under the First Amendment. The law bans companies from delivering engagement-maximizing feeds to children.
Why this matters: The platforms argued that the way they arrange content for kids is protected speech. The judge disagreed. That distinction matters because it draws a line between what a company says and what a company does to keep children scrolling. Addictive design is a product choice, not an editorial one. If that holds up, it opens the door to real regulation of the mechanics behind feeds, not just the content inside them. Companies built these systems knowing they were harmful. A court finally called that out.
Who should care: Cybersecurity · Privacy officers · Administrators
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