Assemblywoman Andrea Katz introduced and sponsored a three-bill legislative package aimed at addressing the growing youth mental health crisis by strengthening online protections for children and increasing accountability for social media platforms.
“As a mom of three teenagers, I see firsthand how central social media is to young people’s lives. It plays a role in all of our lives, and it’s not going anywhere, but we also know the consequences of spending too much time online. Families are seeing the impacts, from increased anxiety, depression, and eating disorders to disrupted sleep and harmful content reaching kids far too easily,” said Assemblywoman Katz (D-Atlantic, Burlington). “At a time when social media providers are focused on maximizing engagement, we need to prioritize the mental health of New Jersey’s youths. This package is about making online spaces safer for minors in an ever-changing digital landscape. It’s about warning users about real mental health risks and providing families and educators with the knowledge and information they need to keep minors safe when they’re online.”
A4015, also known as the “New Jersey Kids Code Act,” would require covered online service providers to strengthen privacy safeguards for minors, including applying default settings that provide the highest available level of protection for users known to be minors and prohibiting the providers from reducing, or prompting minors to reduce, certain privacy settings. It would also limit how platforms may collect and use minors’ personal data and require providers to publish an independently audited annual report detailing design features affecting minors. Assemblywomen Marisa Sweeney and Luanne Peterpaul also sponsored the legislation.
A4013 would require certain social media platforms to display black box mental health warnings, specifying certain times and instances when the warning would need to be displayed. It would also require platforms to monitor for and inform the user of behaviors associated with social media addiction and provide them with resources related to that behavior. Assemblyman Cody Miller and Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis also sponsored A4013.
A4014 would establish a Social Media Research Center at a four-year public institution of higher education to support collaborative research, analysis, and outreach focused on social media use, particularly among children and adolescents. Among its many functions, the center would study the impacts of social media consumption, recommend strategies to policymakers, and promote media literacy. Assemblywoman Carmen Morales also sponsored the legislation.