Cybersecurity Policy Report, N.J. Governor Signs Bills to Enhance Child Safety, Privacy Online, (Aug 11, 2026)
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D.) today signed into law several bills that will impose new requirements on online service providers to enhance the privacy and safety of minors online.
The bills signed will create social media mental health warning labels and a new state social media research observatory, in addition to adopting an age-appropriate design code that requires online service providers to implement measures concerning minors’ use of online services.
“Young people are facing unprecedented mental health challenges, and we have a responsibility to better understand the factors that may be contributing to this crisis,” bill sponsor Sen. Raj Mukherji (D.) said in a statement. “Research has raised serious concerns about the effects of excessive social media use on young people, and by expanding our understanding through research, we can develop policies that better protect the health and well-being of New Jersey’s children.”
The governor signed the New Jersey Kids Code Act (AB 4015, SB 3413), which will limit the collection, retention, and use of minors’ personal data, requiring that only the minimum necessary data be processed for the specific service engaged by the minor.
The act restricts targeted advertising to minors, limits notifications during late-night and school hours, and forbids the use of “dark patterns.” The legislation defines a “dark pattern” as “a user interface designed or manipulated with the substantial effect of subverting or impairing user autonomy, decision-making, or choice and includes, but is not limited to, any practice the United States Federal Trade Commission refers to as a ‘dark pattern.’”
The new law further requires that default privacy settings for known minors be set to the highest level of protection. Covered online service providers must establish mechanisms for minors or their parents to report harms experienced on the platform, according to the bill.
Gov. Sherrill also signed SB 3411, which establishes the Social Media Research Center at a public institution of higher education to research the impacts of “social media use, provide policy recommendations, develop educational resources, and recommend ways to address harmful social media behaviors.”
Another bill (SB 3412) signed by the governor requires the Social Media Research Center to study addictive social media behaviors among youth and recommend warning labels, advertising disclaimers, and other strategies to help reduce their “harmful effects.”
“Today, we are living in a moment of real concern for the well-being of our youth, as parents and educators alike see the growing pressures they face online,” said bill sponsor Linda Greenstein (D.). “This legislation recognizes that urgency by ensuring we have the research and tools necessary to better understand the impact of social media and take the necessary steps to protect young people’s mental health.”
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) applauded passage of the Kids Code Act, which EPIC said included features from the organization’s model Age-Appropriate Design Code, as well as the other bills aimed at protecting children online. EPIC said the governor’s action made it “clear that young people’s privacy is not something companies can trade away for engagement or profit.”
“Children should not have to sacrifice their privacy to participate in the digital world. The New Jersey Kids Code recognizes that protecting young people online starts with requiring companies to build privacy and safety into their products from the outset, rather than placing the burden on kids and families to protect themselves,” said Alan Butler, EPIC’s president and executive director.
News: StateLegislation DataPrivacy