California Law to Protect Kids Online Challenged by Big Tech

A trade group representing social media giants including Meta Platforms Inc. and Google Inc. sued California to block a new law aimed at protecting children online, claiming it conflicts with federal law and “steamrolls” free speech under the First Amendment.

California was seen as a trailblazer with the passage of The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act that requires businesses to put safeguards in place to protect children starting July 1, 2024, including that companies must consider whether their product or service could “harm” children by exposing them to “harmful, or potentially harmful” content.

The challenge to the first-in-the-nation measure comes ...