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Maryland Kids Code

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Summary

The Design Code, or the Kids Code (HB 603/SB 571), was modeled after California’s Age Appropriate Design Code Act. It requires online service providers to complete a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) if their products are “reasonably likely” to be accessed by children, implement monitoring practices for guardians, and prohibit certain data collection practices that might be harmful to children. Companies could face fines of up to $2,500 per child for each negligent violation and $7,500 per child for each intentional violation.

Updates

April 6, 2024. The bill passed unanimously out of the General Assembly together with the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA).

May 9, 2024. Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Design Code into law, making it the second state to enact such legislation. Vermont passed a version of the AADC in its Vermont Data Privacy Act, which cleared the state legislature on May 10, 2024.

Further reading