Design It For Us Co-Chair Sebastian Mahal issued the following statement on the bipartisan passage of the New Jersey Kids Code:

“We applaud the New Jersey General Assembly for working to take on Big Tech’s exploitative business model and protect New Jersey’s young people online. The New Jersey Kids Code Act passed despite industry efforts to defeat it. Once enacted, it will become one of the strongest Age-Appropriate Design Code laws in the country, with a duty of care and a private right of action.

We are thrilled that states like New Jersey are continuing to step up in passing strong legislation targeting social media companies’ harmful design features to enact safety-by-design and privacy-by-default protections for young people. New Jersey will join California, Illinois, Maryland, Vermont, and others in passing this model of legislation. We urge Governor Sherrill to enact this law in support of New Jersey’s youth.”

Design It For Us is proud of the role we played in passing the New Jersey Kids Code. Our members and Co-Chairs testified before the legislature in Trenton, sharing their stories about what it’s like to grow up in an unregulated social media environment, and pushing back on Big Tech’s talking points as they attempted to unsuccessfully water down the bill. Design It For Us advocates met with and spoke alongside lawmakers in the General Assembly to support the bipartisan passage of the New Jersey Kids Code.” 

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Background: 

  • Design It For Us members Saahir Vazirani, 17, from South Amboy, and Hanzla Ahmad, 18, testified before the Assembly Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee in support of the New Jersey Kids Code.
  • Design It For Us Co-Chair Sebastian Mahal spoke at a press conference alongside survivor parents, advocates, and lawmakers in support of the New Jersey Kids Code.
  • Design It For Us Co-Chair Nikki Iyer testified before the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee in support of the New Jersey Kids Code.

About Design It For Us

Design It For Us is a youth-led coalition leveraging grassroots power to disrupt Big Tech’s harmful business models. The coalition is led by a team of people between the ages of 18 and 26 and supported by an array of youth-led organizations, staff, and advisors fighting for a better online world for everyone.