Age-Appropriate Design Code

State Legislative Process Status Effective Date Statute Name Statute/Bill Penalties Challenged in Court Court Ruling Reasonable Age Verification Method Age Estimation Age-Ranged Design Data Protection (Impact) Assessment Risk Mitigation Plan Default High Level Privacy Protection Data Minimization Restrict Geolocation Tracking Restrict Dark Patterns Restrict Automated Profiling Clear Accessible Age Suited Privacy Policy Privacy Rights Managing/Reporting Tools Parental Control/Monitoring Mechanism Monitoring or Tracking Signal Attorney General Private right of action State Regulator
California Enacted 01-Jul-24 The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act Stats 2022 ch 320 (AB2273) Ca. Civ. Code § 1798.99.28 to § 1798.99.40 Civil penalty of up to $2,500 per affected child for each negligent violation or up to $7,500 per affected child for each intentional violation Yes PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION (BEING APPEALED BY STATE)
Connecticut Enacted 01-Jul-26 Amendments to Connecticut Data Privacy Act Conn. Gen. Stat. §45-529(a) Civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation. No
Maryland Enacted 01-Oct-24 Maryland Age Appropriate Design Code Act ("Kids Code") 2024 Md. Laws, Ch. 460 and 461 (SB0571/HB0603) Md. Code, CL § 14-4801 to § 14-4813 Civil penalty of up to $2,500 per affected child for each negligent violation or up to $7,500 per affected child for each intentional violation Yes Filed
Nebraska Enacted 01-Jan-26 Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act LB504 Neb. Rev. Stat. § 87-1301 to § 87-1309 Civil penalty not to exceed fifty thousand dollars for each violation No
Vermont Enacted 01-Jan-27 Vermont Age-Appropriate Design Code Act Act 63 (S69) Violation is an “unfair and deceptive act in commerce” under 9 V.S.A. § 2453. No
Term Definition
Reasonable Age Verification Method A method to determine whether the user is a minor by collecting age-verifying personal information
Age Estimation Estimate the age of child users with a reasonable level of certainty
Age-Ranged Design Grouping minor ages into ranges and taking into account these ranges when designing
Data Protection (Impact) Assessment Survey to assess and mitigate risks that arise from data management practices
Risk Mitigation Plan A plan to mitigate or eliminate the risks identified
Default High Level Privacy Protection Configure all default privacy settings to settings that offer a high level of privacy
Data Minimization Collect, process, retain only the absolutely necessary amount of personal data required for a specific legitimate purpose
Restrict Geolocation Tracking Not collect, sell, or share any precise geolocation information of minor by default
Restrict Dark Patterns Not use of dark patterns to lead or encourage children to provide personal information beyond what is reasonably expected
Restrict Automated Profiling Not perform automated processing of personal information to create a profile by evaluating, analyzing or predicting aspects concerning a natural person’s economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, behavior, location, or movements
Clear Accessible Age Suited Privacy Policy Provide any privacy information, terms of service, policies, and community standards concisely, prominently, and using clear language suited to the age of minors likely to access
Privacy Rights Managing/Reporting Tools Provide prominent, accessible, and responsive tools to help children, or if applicable their parents or guardians, exercise their privacy rights and report concerns
Parental Control/Monitoring Tools Tool that allows parents or guardians to monitor a minor's online activity or track a minor's location
Monitoring or Tracking Signal Provide an obvious signal to the minor when the minor is being monitored or tracked by parent or guardian or that precise geolocation information is being collected
   

Internet-Enabled Device-Based Filter for Harmful Content

State Legislative Process Status Effective Date Statute Name Statute/Bill Penalties Require Age During Device Setup Automatically Enable Filter Password to Manage Filter Activation/Deactivation Notification When Filter Blocks Attorney General Private right of action State Regulator Comments
Alabama Enacted Oct. 1, 2025 SB186 Act 2025-406 (SB186) Ala. Code § 8–19H–1 to § 8–19H–5 Civil penalty up to $5,000 per violation and not exceed $50,000 in aggregate Applies to video game consoles as well
Utah Enacted Jan. 1, 2025 Children's Device Protection Act Laws 2024, Ch. 166 (SB104) Utah Code § 78B-6-2601 to § 78B-6-2606 Attorney General may recover civil penalty up to $5,000 per violation and not exceed $50,000 in aggregate; ALSO Private right action civil penalty award of $50,000 for each violation
Idaho Introduced Children's Device Protection S.B. 1158
South Carolina Introduced Children's Device Protection S. B. 4689
Term Definition
Filter Software on a device to prevent access or display of harmful materials through browsers or search engines
Require Age During Device Setup User to provide age during device activation and account set-up
Automatically Enable Filter Filter is automatically enabled when the user is a minor based on the age provided
Password to Manage Filter Activation/Deactivation A non-minor user with a password can activate/deactivate filter
Notification When Filter Blocks Notify device user when filter blocks device from accessing a website

App Store Accountability (Platform and Developer Obligations)

State Legislative Process Status Effective Date Statute Name Statute/Bill Penalties Reasonable Age Verification Method Digital Age Signal Age Category Data Verifiable Parental Consent before Download/Purchase Linked Parental Account to Minor's Account Display Age Ratings Parental Control Mechanism Data Minimization Protect User Data through Encryption Attorney General Private right of action State/Federal Regulator
Federal Introduced App Store Accountability Act S1586/HR3149 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Alaska Introduced HB46 Civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation
California Enacted 01-Jan-27 Digital Age Assurance Act AB1043 Civil penalty of up to $2,500 per affected child for each negligent violation or up to $7,500 per affected child for each intentional violation
Hawaii Introduced Age Verification for App developers and App stores act SB1542
Illinois Introduced Digital Age Assurance Act HB3304 Civil penalty for up to $10,000 per violation
Louisiana Enacted 01-Jul-26 Act 481 (HB570) La. Stat. Ann. § 51:1761 to § 51:1763 Civil penalty for up to $10,000 per violation
South Carolina Introduced App Store Accountability Act H3405 Civil penalty for up to $10,000 per violation
South Dakota Dead SB180
Texas Enacted 01-Jan-26 App Store Accountability Act SB2420/HB4901
Utah Enacted 07-May-25 App Store Accountability Act Laws 2025, Ch. 446 (SB0142) Utah Code § 13-75-101 to § 13-75-40 Award a parent/guardian the greater of actual damages or $1,000 for each violation
   
Term Definition
Reasonable Age Verification Method A method to determine whether the user is a minor by collecting age-verifying personal information
Digital Age Signal User to provide age during device activation and account set-up
Age Category Data Information that identifies the age category of a user and is collected by a covered app store provider and shared with an app developer
Verifiable Parental Consent before Download/Purchase Authorization provided by a parent whom has been verified is an adult
Linked Parental Account to Minor's Account Ensure a minor's account is linked to an established verified parental account
Display Age Ratings Publicly display the assessment of an app’s appropriateness for the different age categories
Parental Control Mechanism Provide a parent/guardian a clear and easy mechanism to set filters that prevent a minor from accessing harmful content or usage limits, including daily limits and limitations during school and evening hours
Data Minimization Limiting the collection and processing of personal data to the minimum amount necessary
Protect User Data through Encryption Transmitting personal data using industry-standard encryption protocols that ensure data integrity and confidentiality

Children Data Protection Laws

Note: The scope of this "Children Data Protection Laws" is children-specific legislation and bills. This chart does not include states' comprehensive privacy laws.


State Legislative Process Status Effective Date Statute Name Statute Penalties Reasonable Age Verification Method Consent Required to Collect or Process Personal Information Data Minimization Data Protection (Impact) Assessment Restriction Data Retention Clear and Accessible Privacy Notice Right to Delete, Refuse, Access, or Correct Personal Information Restrict Targeted Advertising Restrict Sales of Personal Information Restrict Geolocation Tracking Geolocation Tracking Signal Restrict Dark Patterns Restrict Automated Profiling Attorney General Private right of action Department/ Division Comments
Arkansas Enacted Jul. 1, 2026 The Arkansas Children And Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act Act 952 (HB1717) Ark. Code § 4-88-1501 to § 4-88-1505 *Obtain Parent Consent for Child (Under 13) or from teen (13-16) or their parent before collecting, using, or disclosing
Colorado Enacted Oct. 1, 2025 Privacy Protections for Children's Online Data Ch. 296 (SB041) Colo. Rev. Stat. § 6-1-1301 to § 6-1-1313 *Obtain Parent Consent for Child (Under 13) or from minor (13-17) or their parent before collecting, using, or disclosing
Louisiana Enacted Jul. 1, 2025 Protection of Children's Internet Data Act 456 (HB577) La. Stat. Ann. § 51:1761 TO § 51:1763 Civil penalty of $10,000 per violation *Application is limited to social media companies
New York Enacted Jun. 20, 2025 New York Child Data Protection Act Ch. 121 (S7695/A8149) N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law. § 899-ee to § 899-mm Civil penalty of $5,000 per violation *Obtain Parent Consent for Child (Under 13) or from minor (13-17) or their parent before collecting, using, or disclosing
New York Introduced New York Child Data Privacy and Protection Act S4600 Civil penalty of $10,000 per violation *Proactively alert when personal data is being collected
North Carolina Introduced Children's Online Safety Act S722 Civil penalty of $500,000 per violation *Transparency about data use *Default High Level Privacy Protection
South Carolina Introduced Child Data Privacy and Protection Act H3400 Civil penalty of $10,000 per violation *Prominently display a privacy policy and terms of service
Term Definition
Reasonable Age Verification Method A method to determine whether the user is a minor by collecting age-verifying personal information.
Prohibited Personal Information Data Retention After Verification Prohibits retaining age-verifying personal information after verification use
Data Minimization Collect, process, retain only the absolutely necessary amount of personal data required for a specific legitimate purpose
Data Protection (Impact) Assessment Survey to assess and mitigate risks that arise from data management practices
Restrict Data Retention Prohibit retaining personal information for longer that is reasonably necessary to fulfill a transaction or provide a service
Clear and Accessible Privacy Notice Provide clear and conspicuous notice of privacy rights and settings
Right to Delete, Refuse, Access or Correct Personal Information Provide the opportunity at any time to access, delete, challenge accuracy, refuse to disclose personal information
Restrict Targeted Advertising Prohibit display of any advertising in the minor account holder's account based on the minor's personal information
Restrict Sales of Personal Information Prohibit sales of personal information
Restrict Geolocation Tracking Not collect, sell, or share any precise geolocation information of minor by default
Restrict Dark Patterns Not use of dark patterns to lead or encourage children to provide personal information beyond what is reasonably expected
Restrict Automated Profiling Not perform automated processing of personal information to create a profile by evaluating, analyzing or predicting aspects concerning a natural person’s economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, behavior, location, or movements

Current as of January 28, 2026.