Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Wednesday signed three bills aimed at limiting harmful and potentially addictive social media practices that lawmakers and child advocates say are taking a toll on young people across the state.
New center, new rules for children online
The legislation creates a state-funded research hub, directs that center to study addictive online behaviors among youth and establishes what lawmakers are calling the New Jersey Kids Code Act, which places additional limits on how companies collect and retain data from children.
Sherrill signed the measures at the Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County in Jersey City, describing the bills as a response to what she called the intentional design choices of large technology platforms.
“Big Tech isn’t just the big tobacco of our era. They are worse. They’ve designed platforms that hijack our kids’ attention spans,”
In a prepared statement at the signing, the governor cited research indicating children spend as much as 35 hours per week on social media and warned of associated harms including depression, anxiety, disrupted sleep and negative body image.
What the three bills do
The package includes distinct measures that collectively aim to study, warn and restrict:
- A4014 — establishes a Social Media Research Center at a public institution of higher education to analyze the effects of social platforms on children and to shape policy recommendations.
- S3412 — requires the research center to study addictive behaviors among youth and to propose warning labels for online services.
- A4015 — creates the New Jersey Kids Code Act, requiring certain online service providers to adopt protections for minor users such as privacy-by-default settings and mechanisms to permanently delete a child’s account.
| Bill | Main provision |
|---|---|
| A4014 | Creates Social Media Research Center |
| S3412 | Mandates study of addictive behaviors; recommends warning labels |
| A4015 | Imposes Kids Code privacy and deletion requirements |
Funding and next steps
The research center will be placed at a public university yet to be identified and will receive initial funding of $500,000. Lawmakers expect the center to produce research that informs future regulatory or educational measures, including proposed labeling of services and technical standards for platforms that serve children.
All three bills cleared the state Legislature in June and were enacted when the governor signed them into law Wednesday. Sherrill’s office said technology companies including Meta and Google were contacted for comment but did not immediately respond.
Local and practical impact
For parents, educators and pediatricians in New Jersey, the laws signal an effort by state government to take a more active role in addressing youth tech exposure. The Kids Code Act’s requirements — such as default privacy protections and permanent deletion options — would change how some services manage accounts for minors, though implementation details will depend on rulemaking and potential legal challenges.
Advocates for tighter regulation of social media lauded the move as overdue. Opponents and industry groups typically argue that technology regulation must balance child safety with free speech and innovation; any new compliance requirements could raise costs and technical complexity for platforms.
Because the research center must first be located and staffed, parents seeking immediate relief should continue to rely on existing tools: device-level parental controls, in-app privacy and screen-time settings, and conversations with children about healthy online habits.
What to watch next
- Which public university is selected to host the Social Media Research Center.
- The timetable and specific recommendations produced by the center, including any proposed warning labels.
- How online services adapt to the New Jersey Kids Code Act and whether legal challenges arise.
The new laws represent an early state-level push to address the intersection of tech design and child health. Officials and researchers in New Jersey will now work to translate the legislation into concrete standards and oversight that could influence other states considering similar measures.
Rohan Iyer is a state correspondent covering policy, education and technology for WE NEWS.
