New Jersey Mandates 'Kids Code Act,' Forcing App Redesign for Users Under 18 by 2027

New Jersey has enacted one of the most aggressive interventions into how technology companies build products for minors. Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the New Jersey Kids Code Act into law, setting a September 2027 deadline for online platforms to fundamentally re-architect their services for users under 18.[1][7]

The legislation departs from standard data-privacy frameworks by targeting the actual design mechanics of applications. Rather than simply requiring consent to harvest data, the law mandates that platforms default to their highest available privacy settings for known minors and actively restrict features engineered to maximize screen time.[2][6]

The specific mechanics targeted by the law include infinite scroll, autoplaying media, mass notifications, and gamified elements like streaks or badges. By explicitly naming these features, the state is attempting to regulate the engagement loops that form the core business model of modern social media and entertainment apps.[2][8]

While lawmakers and advocacy groups have framed the legislation as a decisive victory over the tech industry, the practical reality of enforcement remains untested. The law places the burden on companies to justify departures from strict defaults, but distinguishing between a feature built for utility and one built for compulsion is a complex technical and legal challenge.[2][5]

To fall under the law's jurisdiction, an online service must either generate more than $25 million in annual revenue or process the personal data of at least 25,000 consumers. This threshold captures not only the major social media giants but also a wide swath of mid-sized app developers, gaming studios, and digital publishers.[6]

One of the most significant provisions is the inclusion of a private right of action. This allows eligible individuals—or parents acting on their behalf—to sue platforms directly for violations, adding a decentralized layer of enforcement beyond the state attorney general's office.[6][7]

The law also restricts how platforms can use a minor's personal data to feed algorithmic recommendations. Apps will be required to provide accessible tools for young users and their parents to customize or block specific types of media recommendations, effectively forcing platforms to build parallel, highly configurable content feeds for a subset of their user base.[6][8]

Recognizing the technical complexity of these mandates, the state has built in a deliberate delay. The September 2027 effective date acknowledges that unpicking deeply integrated engagement features and building age-gated privacy architectures cannot be accomplished in a single development cycle.[2]

Alongside the design code, the legislative package establishes a Social Media Research Center at a state public university. The center is tasked with studying the effects of addictive design and evaluating whether interventions like mandatory warning labels actually alter user behavior.[1][3][4]

This state-funded research body may prove critical to the law's survival. Similar age-appropriate design codes in California and Maryland have faced immediate constitutional challenges from industry groups. By funding its own empirical research, New Jersey is positioning itself to defend the specific design restrictions written into the statute.[2][6]

For parents and teenagers, the immediate impact will be invisible. Nothing changes on a smartphone today. But by late 2027, a minor opening a new account on a major platform in New Jersey should encounter an environment locked down by default, with fewer mechanics pushing them to keep scrolling.[2][8]