Judge denies injunction, upholds California ban on personalized feeds for minors

In a San Jose courtroom, Senior U.S. District Judge Edward Davila denied a preliminary injunction filed by Meta, Google and TikTok, keeping California's Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act active. The statute prohibits the companies from delivering personalized, algorithm-generated feeds to minor users, a measure the judge described as non-expressive because it relies on predictive modeling rather than editorial choice.

Davila emphasized that the decision concerns only the injunction request and that a full hearing could still address the law's constitutional merits. Attorneys for the firms argued that restricting recommended content infringes on First Amendment rights, citing the 2024 Supreme Court decision in Moody v. NetChoice. California Deputy Attorney General Shiwon Choe highlighted the danger of opaque algorithms, referencing a tragic incident linked to a harmful online challenge.

The platforms suggested less restrictive alternatives such as parental controls, but the court did not grant their request. No immediate comment was provided by the companies.