Amicus Brief Outlines Dangers of California’s Internet Age-Estimation Requirement

Following our amicus brief critiquing the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (CAADCA) at the trial level, an appellate team continues its fight against the law at the Ninth Circuit.

Among other measures, CAADCA requires businesses to estimate the ages of online child users and configure privacy settings for them. NetChoice, a trade group whose members include Amazon, Google, Meta, and TikTok, sued to stop the law. Last September, a federal judge repeatedly cited our amicus brief when she blocked California from enforcing CAADCA, which is set to go into effect this July. California appealed.

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In NetChoice v. Bonta, we have once again written an amicus brief on behalf of esteemed internet law scholar Eric Goldman, professor at Santa Clara University School of Law. The brief urges the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district court’s findings that the age-estimation requirement “erects onerous barriers that would endanger rather than protect children’s privacy, discourage Internet usage, and chill protected speech.”

Our brief explains and reinforces the lower court’s conclusion that CAADCA creates barriers for both minors and adults seeking access to the internet “and how those barriers impermissibly block users from engaging in activities that are protected by the First Amendment.”

Partners Jessie Ring Amunson and Lindsay Harrison and Associate Andy DeGuglielmo wrote the brief.

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© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

Amicus Brief Outlines Dangers of California’s Internet Age-Estimation Requirement

Following our amicus brief critiquing the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (CAADCA) at the trial level, an appellate team continues its fight against the law at the Ninth Circuit.

Among other measures, CAADCA requires businesses to estimate the ages of online child users and configure privacy settings for them. NetChoice, a trade group whose members include Amazon, Google, Meta, and TikTok, sued to stop the law. Last September, a federal judge repeatedly cited our amicus brief when she blocked California from enforcing CAADCA, which is set to go into effect this July. California appealed.

Read More

In NetChoice v. Bonta, we have once again written an amicus brief on behalf of esteemed internet law scholar Eric Goldman, professor at Santa Clara University School of Law. The brief urges the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district court’s findings that the age-estimation requirement “erects onerous barriers that would endanger rather than protect children’s privacy, discourage Internet usage, and chill protected speech.”

Our brief explains and reinforces the lower court’s conclusion that CAADCA creates barriers for both minors and adults seeking access to the internet “and how those barriers impermissibly block users from engaging in activities that are protected by the First Amendment.”

Partners Jessie Ring Amunson and Lindsay Harrison and Associate Andy DeGuglielmo wrote the brief.

Related Locations

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

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