FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Press@KidsCodeCoalition.org

Washington, DC – The Kids Code Coalition released the following statement regarding the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ new ruling on the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, which offers a legal path forward for Kids Code legislation across the country:

“This ruling is encouraging news for Kids Code bills across the country because it affirms that their core safety-by-design and privacy-by-default principles are appropriate, constitutional functions of government. We continue to believe that strong accountability mechanisms must accompany these reforms, and we will keep working with states and stakeholders that seek to develop effective, legally-sound mechanisms to hold Big Tech companies accountable for protecting kids on their platforms. Moving forward, we urge the tech industry lobby and its NetChoice Litigation Center to cease their obstructionist campaign, drop the lawsuits and instead start working with lawmakers and advocates to implement the Maryland Kids Code effectively and strengthen proposed Kids Code legislation across the country.”

Key reactions

CA Governor Gavin Newsom: “California enacted this nation-leading law to shield kids from predatory practices. Instead of adopting these commonsense protections, NetChoice chose to sue — yet today, the Court largely sided with us. It’s time for NetChoice to drop this reckless lawsuit and support safeguards that protect our kids’ safety and privacy.”

CA Attorney General Rob Bonta: “We’re pleased that the Ninth Circuit reversed the majority of the district court’s injunction, which blocked California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act from going into effect. The California Department of Justice remains committed to protecting our kids’ privacy and safety from companies that seek to exploit their online experiences for profit.”  

Tech Justice Law Project Executive Director Meetali Jain: “While we remain frustrated that critical protections for California’s youth remain delayed by this legal challenge, we are encouraged that today’s ruling leaves open whether the core provisions of CA’s AADC are constitutional, leaving the door wide open for new, meaningful online safety protections for kids in California and across the country.”

Accountable Tech Executive Director Nicole Gill: “Since the moment this law was passed, NetChoice has been on a mission to stop it – weaponizing our legal system to ensure that Big Tech companies continue profiting from harm to kids. The Ninth Circuit’s ruling makes clear that the lower court’s injunction was far too broad. The district court must now reconsider the safety-by-design and privacy-by-default protections central to the Age-Appropriate Design Code.”

CA State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks: “This decision restored the most child-protective parts of the AADC & squarely rejected NetChoice’s efforts to invalidate laws to protect kids. This shows the judicial system working the way it’s supposed to — making decisions based on evidence, not claims.”

###