The companies failed to persuade a judge that their reliance on algorithms amounted to “expressive” activity meriting First Amendment protection. (CN) — A federal judge rejected on Thursday a bid by Meta, Google and TikTok to block provisions of California’s Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act that prohibits them from sending minors personalized — or addictive — feeds. Representatives of the social media platforms had no immediate comment on the ruling. In their arguments, the social media giants relied heavily on the landmark 2024 Supreme Court ruling in Moody v. NetChoice LLC, in which the high court held that the First Amendment protects online platforms’ content moderation decisions. And NetChoice — an internet trade association with members including social media companies — even attempted in 2024 to stop California from enforcing the law.