Attorney General Brown files comprehensive case rebutting NetChoice attempt to block law that will save kids’ lives

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Kids Code Coalition today applauded Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown’s decision to mount a vigorous defense of the state’s landmark youth online safety law by filing a motion to dismiss in response to Big Tech’s obstructionist legal attack through NetChoice, a front group representing major companies including Meta, Google, Amazon and Snap.

“Families across Maryland can breathe a sigh of relief today and feel confident that Maryland’s leaders are boldly standing up for our kids against Big Tech,” said Kids Code Coalition spokesperson Marisa Shea, a St. Mary’s County parent who helped to draft the law. “Attorney General Brown is doing his job by defending our right to build a safe and healthy online environment for young people with common-sense, bipartisan legislation passed unanimously by our representatives.”

The Attorney General’s response to NetChoice’s lawsuit comes days after parents across the state called for him to vigorously defend and enforce the law in order to “make the difference we fought so hard for and spare other families the unthinkable pain that ours have faced. This is the vision we all fought for, and it’s time to make it a reality.”

The Maryland Kids Code, which received broad support from parents, young people, educators, and advocacy groups during its journey to unanimous passage by Maryland’s General Assembly, introduced crucial protections against harmful online practices that target kids on October 1st, 2024. The law is designed to ban design features that encourage prolonged use and excessive data tracking by platforms, ensuring a safer digital environment and better privacy for Maryland’s youth. 

The Kids Code Coalition has consistently called out NetChoice, a lobbying front group for Big Tech companies including Meta, Google, Amazon, and Snap, for its self-serving litigation, deceptive lobbying, and misleading public statements to block state laws designed to protect children online. NetChoice is part of a network of Big Tech-funded organizations across the country, and runs a $30-million legal “war room” against kids’ online safety legislation. Last year, the Kids Code Coalition drew attention to the Big Tech lobby’s interference in child online safety efforts across the country throughout 2024 state legislative sessions. 

The Kids Code Coalition is a wide-ranging group of national and state organizations dedicated to improving youth online security and privacy by supporting policies that ensure companies prioritize kids’ and teens’ safety and developmental needs when designing digital platforms and products.

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