Endorsed Legislation

California Age Appropriate Design Code

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Background

Unanimously passed by the California State Legislature and signed into law in September 2022, the California Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC) is a landmark bipartisan law to protect kids online by design and by default. The AADC is first-of-its-kind legislation, giving children high privacy for their personal data, and instructing companies to change features that use data to expose children to risks and intrusion. The California AADC was inspired by the UK’s AADC, which has already produced significant changes from Big Tech companies to protect kids online including:

  • Instagram will no longer allow unknown adults to direct message under 18s
  • TikTok users under the age of 16 will have the accounts set to private by default.
  • Google will stop targeted advertising to under 18s, taking children out of the business model. They have also introduced safe search by default.
  • YouTube will remove auto-play, to prevent children being fed endless videos.

The California AADC goes into effect in 2024. The legislation has already inspired similar legislation in states across the country.

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Maryland Age Appropriate Design Code

Under Consideration Take Action
Background

Introduced by Delegates Jared Solomon and C.T. Wilson and Senators Chris West and Benjamin Kramer, the bipartisan Maryland Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC) is a privacy framework that brings a product safety approach to the internet ensuring that, like cribs and seatbelts, the online products our children and teens use every day are safe by design.

Inspired by successful AADC legislation in the United Kingdom and California, the Maryland AADC is a chance for Maryland to lead the nation in protecting kids online by design and by default. The AADC would require online platforms likely accessed by kids under the age of 18 in Maryland to meet key design standards to protect their safety and privacy including:

  • Requiring online platforms that children can access to be designed by default for their protection.
  • Maintaining a high level of privacy settings by default.
  • Providing easily accessible reporting tools for privacy and inappropriate behavior concerns.
  • Prohibiting covered platforms from collecting and retaining any personal information for users under age 18 that is unnecessary for the provided service.
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Minnesota Age Appropriate Design Code

Under Consideration Take Action
Background

Introduced by State Representatives Kristin Bahner, Steve Elkins, and Zack Stephenson and Senators Erin Maye Quade, Melissa Wiklund, and Kelly Morrison, the Minnesota Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC) is a privacy framework that brings a product safety approach to the internet ensuring that, like cribs and seatbelts, the online products our children and teens use every day are safe by design.

Inspired by successful AADC legislation in the United Kingdom and California, the Minnesota AADC is a chance for Minnesota to lead the nation in protecting kids online by design and by default. The AADC would require online platforms likely accessed by kids under the age of 18 in Minnesota to meet key design standards to protect their safety and privacy including:

  • Requiring online platforms that children can access to be designed by default for their protection.
  • Maintaining a high level of privacy settings by default.
  • Providing easily accessible reporting tools for privacy and inappropriate behavior concerns.
  • Prohibiting covered platforms from collecting and retaining any personal information for users under age 18 that is unnecessary for the provided service.
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Nevada Age Appropriate Design Code

Under Consideration Take Action
Background

Introduced by Nevada State Senator Edgar Flores and Nevada Assemblywoman Jill Dickman, the bipartisan Nevada Age Appropriate Design Code Act (AADC) is a privacy framework that brings a product safety approach to the internet ensuring that, like cribs and seatbelts, the online products our children and teens use every day are safe by design.

Inspired by successful AADC legislation in the United Kingdom and California, the Nevada AADC is a chance for Nevada to lead the nation in protecting kids online by design and by default. The AADC would require online platforms likely accessed by kids under the age of 18 in Nevada to meet key design standards to protect their safety and privacy including:

  • Requiring online platforms that children can access to be designed by default for their protection.
  • Maintaining a high level of privacy settings by default.
  • Providing easily accessible reporting tools for privacy and inappropriate behavior concerns.
  • Prohibiting covered platforms from collecting and retaining any personal information for users under age 18 that is unnecessary for the provided service.
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New Mexico Age Appropriate Design Code

Under Consideration Take Action
Background

Introduced by State Senators George Muñoz, Mark Moores, and Correa Hemphill, the bipartisan Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC) is a privacy framework that brings a product safety approach to the internet ensuring that, like cribs and seatbelts, the online products our children and teens use every day are safe by design.

Inspired by successful AADC legislation in the United Kingdom and California, the New Mexico AADC is a chance for New Mexico to lead the nation in protecting kids online by design and by default. The AADC would require online platforms likely accessed by kids under the age of 18 in New Mexico to meet key design standards to protect their safety and privacy including:

  • Requiring online platforms that children can access to be designed by default for their protection.
  • Maintaining a high level of privacy settings by default.
  • Providing easily accessible reporting tools for privacy and inappropriate behavior concerns.
  • Prohibiting covered platforms from collecting and retaining any personal information for users under age 18 that is unnecessary for the provided service.
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The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act

Under Consideration Take Action
Background

Introduced by Senator Markey and Senator Cassidy, the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act builds upon the federal legislation of a similar name passed in 1998 to protect kids online by:

  • Prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal data from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent.
  • Banning targeted advertising to children and teens.
  • Expanding COPPA’s protections to platforms that are “reasonably likely to be” children or minors.
  • Creating an “Eraser Button” for parents and kids by requiring companies to permit users to eliminate personal information from a child or teen when technologically feasible.
  • Establishing a “Digital Marketing Bill of Rights for Teens” that limits the collection of personal information of teens.
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The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)

Under Consideration Take Action
Background

Sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) would establish protections for kids and teens’ health and well-being. The legislation:

  • Requires that social media platforms provide minors with options to protect their information, disable addictive product features, and opt-out of algorithmic recommendations—and requires platforms to enable the strongest settings by default.
  • Creating a duty for social media platforms to prevent and mitigate harms to minors, such as content promoting of selfharm, suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, and sexual exploitation.
  • Providing academic researchers and non-profit organizations with access to critical datasets from social media platforms to foster research regarding harms to the safety and well-being of minors.
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The Kids PRIVACY Act

Under Consideration Take Action
Background

Introduced by Rep. Kathy Castor, the Kids PRIVACY Act would strengthen the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), previously passed legislation from 1998 to protect kids’ privacy online. The bill builds on COPPA's strengths and expands privacy protections for children and teenagers by:

  • Expanding the protected class from under the age of 13 to include teenagers under the age of 18.
  • Expanding the coverage to sites likely to be accessed by children and teenagers.
  • Banning companies from providing targeted advertisements to children and teenagers.
  • Requiring opt-in consent for all individuals under 18.
  • Prohibiting industry self-regulation.
  • Establishing that companies must provide individuals the opportunity to access, correct, or delete their personal information at any time.
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