New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a package of laws Tuesday that seek to bolster online protections for kids in the state and restrict platforms’ ability to use addictive design features targeted at young users.
The Democratic governor signed the New Jersey Kids Code Act, which codifies the state’s Age-Appropriate Design Code and limits how companies can collect and use children’s data. The law, which will kick in September 2027, requires companies to set their default privacy settings for children to the highest level and restricts their ability to use certain features meant to keep users on their platforms, such as infinite scrolls or mass notifications.
New Jersey joins a growing list of states with kids online safety laws, including California, Mississippi, Ohio, and South Carolina. In Washington, a package of bills aimed at improving children’s safety online passed a key Senate committee last week. The House passed a version of the legislation in June. The chambers plan to begin negotiating over compromise language when they return from recess in the fall.
“Big Tech might have stopped politicians in Washington from holding them accountable, but they won’t stop us here in New Jersey,” Sherrill said in a press release. She said the state’s newest laws are “putting real protections in place for children online, better supporting parents across our state, and making clear that technology companies have a responsibility to put kids’ safety ahead of profits.”
Sherrill also enacted bills that establish a Social Media Research Center to study the impact of social media and addictive features on children, and make policy recommendations. The new laws also direct the center to research the efficacy of warning labels and mandatory disclaimers to reduce social media addiction among children.
