For Immediate Release
Press Contact: press@mdkidscode.com
Senate President, House Speaker Name Kids Code Bill a Consumer Protection Priority
At Press Conference, Lawmakers Commit to Action to Protect Kids
ANNAPOLIS – The Maryland Kids Code Coalition applauded Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones for prioritizing youth online safety by including the Maryland Kids Code in today’s newly-announced legislative consumer protection package. The leaders’ endorsement comes the day after Sen. Ben Kramer and Dels. Jared Solomon and CT Wilson reintroduced the bill, which would make online technology safer for young users and protect their privacy.
“Our coalition of young people, parents, educators and medical professionals thanks Senate President Ferguson and House Speaker Jones for their leadership and for recognizing that we need stronger consumer protections in Maryland to ensure kids’ safety online,” said Maryland Kids Code Coalition advocate Elizabeth Elliott. “With this strong support from leaders in Annapolis, we’re more optimistic than ever about passing meaningful online protections for kids this year in the form of Maryland Kids Code legislation.”
Learn more about the Maryland Kids Code
Maryland lawmakers reintroduce ‘Kids Code’ bill for online safety
WJZ, 1/23/24
Community voices calling for the 2024 Maryland Kids Code
- Todd Minor, Sr. – A TikTok challenge killed our son; now we fight for other children’s safety (Baltimore Sun, 1/24/24)
- Elizabeth Elliott – School nurse: Social media exacerbates teen health crisis by design (Maryland Matters, 1/12/24)
- Del. CT Wilson – Protect children from online abuse, addiction linked to social media (Baltimore Banner, 1/8/24)
- Gabriela Romo – Time for parents to start holding tech platforms accountable (MoCo360, 1/5/24)
Why we need action on Kids Code legislation
- U.S. Surgeon General – Advisory on Social Media & Youth Mental Health
- Pew Research Center – Teens, Social Media & Technology 2023
- Children and Screens Institute for Digital Media – Social Media, Drugs & Youth
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – Social Media Platforms Generate Billions in Annual Ad Revenue from U.S. Youth
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