Berkeley, California — Design It For Us is piloting a new State Leadership Initiative to build grassroots power and push for safety by design, privacy by default, and agency over our online lives. While federal policy is a critical tool for achieving these goals, policy isn’t just made in Washington, D.C. There’s real movement in states across the country, and young people are committed to leading these conversations where the action is.

DIFU’s foundations are rooted in state organizing. Our youth-led movement has already driven wins like the signing of the Vermont Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC) and the Maryland Kids Code, major endorsements and momentum for the SAFE for All Act in New York. The State Leadership Initiative doubles down on this success. By formally elevating youth leaders to champion state-level change, we’re putting boots on the ground where change is happening, creating sustainable impact, and ensuring that young people are positioned throughout the country to lead, innovate, and deliver for all future generations.

We’re kicking off by returning to California, where the legislative session is still buzzing with opportunity. Design It For Us was founded upon the namesake campaign that drove the fight to pass the landmark California AADC, and has driven vital progress across the country since. With its history as a frontier of technology oversight, we’re thrilled to launch this Initiative in the Golden State and introduce Vinaya Sivakumar as our very first State Lead.

“Young people aren’t just the future; we’re living with the consequences of today’s technology design right now,” said Vinaya Sivakumar, DIFU State Lead, California. “Social media platforms and AI products are evolving at a breakneck pace, and without strong guardrails, the harms will reach us before the benefits do. This initiative gives us the chance to set those protections in place now to make sure emerging technology is transparent and safe, and I’m excited to see the real, lasting change we can make in California.”

One of our first steps in California will be supporting SB 53, a bill designed to advance transparency and safety standards in frontier AI development. While SB 53 is just one piece of the puzzle, it reflects our core mission to ensure technology is developed with the interests of young people in mind.

“Social media taught us what happens when Big Tech’s interests outpace accountability and we feel those consequences every day,” said Zamaan Qureshi, Co-Chair of Design It For Us. “We can’t afford to repeat that mistake with AI. SB 53 is our opportunity to insist on transparency, safety checks, and public oversight before the damage is done, and young people are ready to lead that fight in California.”

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About Design It For Us

Design It For Us is a youth-led coalition of young people, activists, and leaders that aims to achieve policy reforms to protect kids, teens, and young adults online. The coalition is led by two Co-Chairs and a team of Organizing Directors between the ages of 18 and 26. The coalition is also supported by an array of youth-led organizations and advisors.