The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, or Assembly Bill (AB) 2273, was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom of California to safeguard the safety, information, and privacy of children who use online platforms. The bipartisan proposal achieves a compromise between safeguarding children and guaranteeing that technology businesses will have clear regulations that will allow them to keep innovating.
The measure will force online platforms to consider the best interests of kid users and to default to privacy and safety settings that safeguard the emotional and physical health and well-being of children.
Companies that offer online services, products, or features that children are likely to use are not allowed to use a child’s personal information, collect, sell, or keep a child’s geolocation, profile a child by default, or lead or encourage a child to give personal information, according to AB 2273.
Additionally, the measure mandates that privacy information, terms of service, policies, and community standards be readily available, and upheld and that responsive mechanisms be provided to assist minors in exercising their right to privacy.
Although social media and the internet are essential for connecting and communicating on a global scale, the bill recognises that children still need actual protections like laws to ensure their well-being as they grow and develop. Tech firms are responsible for the online environments they create and how those environments affect California’s youngsters.
The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act would create the Children’s Data Protection Working Group, which will be tasked with reporting to the Legislature by January 2024 on the best methods for implementation. According to AB 2273, companies with an online presence must do a Data Protection Impact Assessment before introducing new online services, goods, or features that kids are likely to use.
As the first state in the country to demand that tech companies build guardrails on their apps and websites for users under 18, California is paving the way for the rest of the country to follow in making the digital world safe for American youngsters. The Design Code is a game-changer and a significant advancement in the effort to establish a universal standard for the safety of children online.
With the help of this law, California is setting the bar for the nation’s new, kid-friendly online experience. The state still must do more to address the crisis in young people’s mental health. They are aware that some Big Tech social media corporations tailor their products to addict children, and that many of these children have major side effects like despair, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and eating disorders as a result. Online child safety is not simply a matter of common sense; it will also save lives.
The Data Protection Impact Assessments must specify the aim of the online service, product, or feature, how it utilises children’s personal information, and the risks of material damage to children resulting from the data management practices and be provided to the Attorney General.
In addition, the bill mandates the completion of Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) before any new online services, products, or features are made available to the public. It also states that if a new online service, product, or feature is likely to be used by children, the documentation of this assessment should be kept.
The bill also mandates that the DPIA disclose the function of any online service, product, or feature, how any personal information about children is used, and any material dangers to children from the data management practices.
