Last week, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed three bills aimed at strengthening protections related to children’s online safety, with extra attention paid to social media and potentially harmful algorithms.
It’s a part of Sherrill’s broader Kids’ Online Safety Agenda, which ties directly back to a day one move, when she created the Office of Youth Online Mental Health Safety and Awareness within the NJ Department of Health.
Here’s what the bills do.
Bill #1: The New Jersey Kids Code Act
The first bill in the package is the The New Jersey Kids Code Act—officially known as A4015/S3413.
The bill—sponsored by Assemblymembers Andrea Katz, Marisa Sweeney and Luanne Peterpaul, and Senators Raj Mukherji and Linda Greenstein—codifies the NJ Age-Appropriate Design Code, requiring online platforms to design their products with “the safety and well-being of minors in mind.”
Included in its key provisions are limits on data companies can collect from children, a requirement for the highest privacy settings by default for underage users, restrictions on features that keep children scrolling, and safeguards around interactions between adults and children.
The bill also gives parents more control over platform specifics—mainly algorithmic recommendations—and provides a new tool for reporting harmful experiences online.
Bill #2: Social Media Research Center
The second bill—A4014/S3411—establishes a Social Media Research Center at a New Jersey public university. The bill is sponsored by Assemblymembers Andrea Katz and Carmen Theresa Morales, and Senators Raj Mukherji and Linda Greenstein.
The initiative builds on a $500,000 investment in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which will be used by the Center to independently study the effects of social media, addictive features, and the rising risks of different platforms.
The administration is aiming to have the Center fully operational by the fall.
Bill #3: Warning Label Research
The last bill is S3412/A4013, which directs the newly created Social Media Research Center (see above) to study whether applying warning labels or disclaimers to social media platforms could reduce addictive use in minors. The bill is sponsored by Senators Raj Mukherji and Linda Greenstein, along with Assemblymembers Andrea Katz, Cody Miller and Mitchelle Drulis.
The research findings will be used to guide future rules set by the NJ Department of Health. A final report with policy recommendations must be issued within 18 months of the bill’s signing.
Why Social Media?
Governor Sherrill has been consistent since taking office on holding tech companies accountable for potential harm caused to children. “Big Tech might have stopped politicians in Washington from holding them accountable, but they won’t stop us here in New Jersey,” she said in a statement released by the Governor’s office.
The issue is also personal for Sherrill as a mother of four. “I have seen firsthand how social media platforms can affect our kids and how often parents are left to fight this battle alone. Technology companies have designed platforms that hijack our kid’s attention spans, constantly rolling out new, addictive features that have serious negative consequences for our children’s long-term health and well-being,” she said.
Simplified, the new laws are designed to protect children online, provide better support to parents navigating the digital world, and place emphasized responsibility on technology companies and social media platforms to prioritize safety over profits.
Support is Widespread
The package drew strong support from advocacy groups and mental health organizations across the state.
“These companies intentionally built their products to keep our kids scrolling, whatever the cost—and their lobbyists fought for years to keep anyone from changing it. Today, they lost, and New Jersey chose our kids over their profits,” said Erin Popolo, who lost her daughter to suicide as a result of cyberbullying in 2021. “This victory is for my daughter Emily: I fought so her memory would mean other kids are protected from what she and our family experienced—and now, in New Jersey, they will be. Thank you to everyone who worked on this critical legislation.”
As we navigate a social media landscape that is constantly changing, New Jersey leaders are determined to establish rules and guidelines that put safety—especially for children—at the forefront. These newly signed bills are a step in that direction.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
