Statement on California State Senate’s Passage of Age-Appropriate Design Code Act

For Immediate Release
August 29, 2022
Contact: press@accountabletech.org

Today, the California State Senate voted unanimously to pass The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, a first-of-its-kind measure to protect the safety of children and teens online. The bill – supported by Accountable Tech and youth activists from across the country – would require online platforms to prioritize the health, safety, and privacy of children over their profits, including the collection and sale of intimate user data, manipulative design, and profiling. After a final vote in the State Assembly, the bill heads to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk where he has until September 30th to sign it into law. Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill released the following statement:

“Today California took a massive step forward in securing a future in which the internet is fundamentally designed around the best interests of young people. The California Age-Appropriate Design Code will ensure Big tech platforms prioritize the safety, wellbeing, and privacy of children and teens, and put an end to the pervasive tracking, targeting, and manipulation they face online.

If signed into law, this historic legislation would represent a seismic shift in the fight for online privacy. The bill has bipartisan support among lawmakers and advocates and is supported by an overwhelming 90% of California parents.

With his signature, Governor Newsom has the opportunity to create a healthier online ecosystem – not just for kids in California, but for children and teens across the United States. We urge the Governor to sign this bill immediately.”

Background on the Age-Appropriate Design Code Act:

Polling from Accountable Tech + Data For Progress shows 90% of California voters support the AADC. Last year, AT commissioned a separate, nationwide poll of parents that found equally overwhelming support for expanding minors’ online protections.
Working with youth advocacy groups LOG OFF and Tech(nically) Politics, AT supported the launch of ‘Design It For Us’, an innovative multimedia effort for young people to share why online spaces should be designed with them in mind.
AT has helped hundreds of young Californians make their voices heard in support of the bill through petitions, storytelling, and contact-your-legislator tools – part of AT’s ongoing work to ensure young people have a seat at the table.
Learn more about the Design Code, and the sweeping coalition of advocates who have endorsed it, at CaliforniaAADC.com

###

Statements

Apr 22, 2024

Accountable Tech Statement on the Biden Administration’s New HIPAA Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy

Accountable Tech Executive Director and Co-Founder Nicole Gill issued the following statement in response to a new rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

Statements

Apr 10, 2024

200+ Creators Call on Instagram to Stop Limiting “Political Content” By Default

Accountable Tech and GLAAD organized an open letter signed by more than 200 creators with a collective following of more than 18 million Instagram users calling on Meta to give users the autonomy to adjust their algorithm by making the setting to limit political and social issues content opt-in rather than on-by-default.