Assembly committee advances New Jersey package to tighten online protections for children
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Summary
The Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee released three bills that would require stronger default privacy settings for minors, require mental‑health warnings on platforms and fund a research center to study social media’s effects on youth; the committee voted to advance the measures to the full Assembly.
The Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee voted to release a three‑bill package on child online safety Tuesday, advancing the New Jersey Kids Code Act (A4015), a social‑media mental‑health warnings bill (A4013) and a proposal to establish a social‑media research center (A4014).
Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, the primary sponsor, told the committee the package seeks “stronger default privacy and safety protections for minors” and measures to “increase transparency through independent audits” and platform accountability. Katz said the bills aim to reduce harms including cyberbullying, exposure to dangerous challenges and harms to mental health.
Several parents and clinicians gave emotional testimony in support. A bereaved parent, addressed in the hearing as Karen, urged members to act: “Please help my daughter’s death not be in vain,” she said, tying gaps in platform reporting and safety tools to real‑world consequences. Julie Skelfo, founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction, cited industry figures in arguing for statutory guardrails: “In 2025 alone, Meta reported more than 52,400,000 posts on Instagram and Facebook that encouraged suicide, self‑harm, or eating disorders,” she said, urging lawmakers not to wait.
Medical witnesses framed the bills as public‑health measures. Dr. Carol Paik Tang, an emergency physician, told the panel she has seen rising pediatric presentations linked to social‑media harms and said “the data shows social media does harm.” Psychologists and advocates said features such as autoplay, infinite scroll and persistent notifications “reinforce compulsive use” in developing brains and that default privacy settings and more accessible supports would shift responsibility from parents and schools to designers.
Industry groups and business associations urged narrower drafting and flagged legal and operational concerns. Margaret Durkin of TechNet said industry agrees children deserve protection but cautioned that elements of the New Jersey bill resemble provisions litigated in other states and could raise First Amendment and implementation questions. Kyle Seppi of the Computer and Communications Industry Association warned that some audit and disclosure requirements could expose sensitive operational details and that mandatory time‑based notification rules could effectively require location tracking.
Youth advocates who testified in support said default privacy settings and design changes can preserve positive uses of platforms while reducing harms. Sahir Vazirani, a student advocate, argued the New Jersey draft avoids the specific reporting obligations that have concerned courts in other states and focuses on privacy, design safeguards and transparency that would allow public oversight without regulating content directly.
Outcome: The committee moved to release A4015 and A4013; both bills were advanced by roll call. The Kids Code Act (A4015) and the mental‑health warnings bill (A4013) were released by unanimous committee vote. The research‑center bill (A4014) was released as well, but recorded one member voting no and another abstaining; members said they expect follow‑up work on fiscal details and scope.
What’s next: Each bill will proceed through the Assembly process; sponsors and stakeholders said they expect amendments and technical changes as the measures move forward and as the committee weighs legal feedback and implementation logistics.
