A bill to establish standards and practices relating to certain online services, products, and features that are likely to be accessed by children; to prohibit certain acts and practices related to certain online services, products, and features that are likely to be accessed by children; to prescribe civil sanctions; to create a fund; and to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and entities.
House Bill No. 5823 is designed to set standards and practices for online services, products, and features that children are likely to access. Termed the "age-appropriate design code act," it aims to protect children's privacy, safety, and well-being by establishing specific criteria for businesses regarding data handling and privacy settings. The bill defines various terms including "child," "business," "collects," and "dark pattern," and outlines the responsibilities of businesses in ensuring the protection of children online. This includes conducting data protection impact assessments for high-risk processing activities, configuring default privacy settings to maximize privacy, providing clear and age-appropriate privacy information, and restricting profiling unless it is in the best interest of children and enhances their online experience. The bill also introduces civil sanctions for violations, creates a fund for enforcement actions, and specifies that the act does not infringe on children's existing rights and freedoms. It is set to take effect 18 months after enactment.
Co-sponsored by Reps.
Referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform
