California Governor Signs Law Aimed at Protecting Children's Online Privacy
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed into law a bill aimed at protecting the well-being, data, and privacy of children online.
The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act(Opens in a new window) (AB 2273) requires online platforms to consider "the best interest of child users" and default to privacy and safety settings "that protect children's mental and physical health and well-being."
Introduced by Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo), the bill prohibits online providers likely accessed by children (most social media sites, gamemakers, streaming platforms, etc.) from using young people's personal information; collecting, selling, or retaining geolocations; profiling by default; and leading or encouraging kids to provide personal information.
"We're taking aggressive action in California to protect the health and wellbeing of our kids," Newsom said in a statement(Opens in a new window). "As a father of four, I'm familiar with the real issues our children are experiencing online, and I'm thankful to Assemblymembers Wicks and Cunningham and the tech industry for pushing these protections and putting the wellbeing of our kids first."
The bipartisan legislation also requires that tech companies make privacy information, terms of service, policies, and community standards easily accessible, and provide responsive tools to help children "exercise their privacy rights." The Children's Data Protection Working Group will deliver a report on best practices to the state legislature by January 2024.
"As the mom of two young girls, I am personally motivated to ensure that Silicon Valley's most powerful companies redesign their products in children's best interest," Wicks
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