Maryland Kids Code
The Maryland Kids Code was signed into law in May 2024, after passing the Maryland legislature with unanimous bipartisan support. Following the 2022 adoption of the California Age Appropriate Design Code, Maryland thus became the second US state to pass legislation modelled after the UK Age Appropriate Design Code and meeting international best practice standards for children’s privacy and data protection. The new Kids Code requires privacy by design and default, and for products and services to be age-appropriate, if they are reasonably likely to be accessed by under 18s.
Introduced by Delegates Jared Solomon (D-18) and C.T. Wilson (D-26), along with Maryland Senators Benjamin Kramer (D-19) and Chris West (R-42), the Maryland Kids Code unanimously passed out of General Assembly on April 6, 2024 and signed into law by Governor Moore on May 9, 2024, despite strong pushback by industry.
Todd Minor Sr. and Mia Minor, parent advocates from Accokeek, founders of the Matthew E. Minor Awareness Foundation in memory of their late son, said:
“Today is a landmark moment for Maryland kids and families working toward a better, safer online world… We’ve worked hard for this moment, and we’re super proud our legislators had the courage and determination to stand up to the Big Tech lobbyists in the hope that other families will never have to suffer pain like ours has endured.”
5Rights Executive Director Leanda Barrington-Leach said:
“This is another hard-won but very deserved victory for children, for parents, for teachers, for US society as a whole. These unanimous votes show that support for the Age Appropriate Design Code’s safety-by-design and privacy-by-default principles transcends political divides. They reflect mounting public calls for smart, effective policy solutions to protect kids online. While tech companies continue to fight change, it is time to recognise that it is inevitable. Protecting and respecting children must be the price of doing business.”
5Rights will support the government and people of Maryland in the implementation and enforcement of the Code.
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