A better online world is possible

Support the
Age Appropriate Design Code

Most youth are exposed to porn by age 12 (CSM, 2023)

81% of 14 to 22-year-olds say they used social media either "daily" or "almost constantly."

Of the top 100 free apps for kids in Google Play 1 in 3 have banner ads, including ads for adult content.

Kids and teens deserve online platforms designed for them.

Every day children are using a digital world that is designed by and for adults, where they are nudged to give up their privacy, offered harmful material, and exposed to risky contacts and behaviors. While we test cribs and car seats and put nutrition labels on foods, the internet has never had product safety testing for children and teens. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Bold landmark legislation in the Age Appropriate Design Code, otherwise known as the “Kids Code,” has already gone into effect in the UK and produced meaningful changes from Big Tech companies to protect kids and teens online by design and by default. The legislation has already been signed into law in California and Maryland, unanimously passed in Vermont, and introduced in many states including Minnesota.

What is the Minnesota Kids Code?

The Minnesota Kids Code was introduced in the 2023 legislative session and passed the Minnesota State House of Representatives in the Commerce Budget Bill with overwhelming bipartisan support.

The Kids Code would require privacy by design and default, and it would require online products and services reasonably likely to be accessed by children and teens under 18 to be age appropriate and designed in kids’ best interests. While Big Tech attempts to fight the AADC with infinite resources and lawsuits, legislators and civil society organizations are continuing to prioritize kids’ safety and wellbeing online.

HOW IT WORKS

STATE FACT SHEET

IMPACT OF The AADC

Parents, youth, medical professionals, partner organizations, join us in fighting for a better online future.

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Video Testimonials

Ella, Young person from MN

Casey Mock

Quotes from Minnesotans

“As a middle school teacher and librarian, I see and work with students who have been negatively impacted by online social media. Our school has seen a dramatic increase in the number of students who express feelings of depression and suicidal thoughts. They experience stress and anxiety and feel as though they just can’t measure up.”
Teacher from Nisswa, MN

“I am a licensed chemical dependency counselor for adolescents. Social media has such a negative impact on how adolescents view themselves and their mental health in so many ways. I am of a younger generation that also grew up with social media, and it impacted me and so many of my friends in a very negative way. I have many friends that are in recovery or have a history of trying to end their life because of beauty and society standards.”
Substance Abuse Counselor from Plymouth, MN

“My daughter has been through inpatient and outpatient treatment that is related to her depression stemming from social media.”
Parent from Redwing, MN

“My daughter’s eating disorder was triggered by a combination of TikTok weight loss and beauty videos, in spite of screen time filters and parental support, and her 8th grade health class making them count calories. The result was horrific for our whole family. I have had to quit my job.”
Parent from Taylors Falls, MN

“My wife and I have been dealing with the effects of social media on our daughter for a couple of years now and it’s tearing our family apart.”
Parent from Excelsior, MN

Press Releases

News

Advocacy Highlights

Newspaper Ad to Minnesota State Legislators

On April 19, 2023, the Minnesota Kids Code coalition took out a full-page ad in the Star Tribune behalf of 100+ parents, educators, youth activists, and technologists urging the Minnesota State Legislature to pass the Minnesota Age Appropriate Design Code.

Newspaper Ad to TechNet Member Companies

On May 22, 2023, the Minnesota Kids Code coalition took out a full-page ad in the Star Tribune to respond to Big Tech’s lobbying efforts to prevent the passage of the Minnesota Age Appropriate Design Code in the 2023 legislative session of the Minnesota State Legislature.