Contact: Press@KidsCodeCoalition.org

ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Kids Code Coalition celebrated the law and its advocates as landmark protections for almost 1.4 million kids and teens came into effect at midnight Tuesday, October 1st:

“Today is a historic moment in the fight to keep American kids safe online. Our success in Maryland breaking through Big Tech’s logjam on meaningful action to protect kids means the biggest tech companies in the country will now be required to innovate in the name of Maryland kids’ well-being and respect their privacy, opening the door to a future where all children and youth can thrive online and parents can rest easier knowing basic consumer protections are in place to protect their families. We were able to achieve this victory because of the strength and resolve shown by Maryland parents, kids, health care workers, educators and community members who spoke out and refused to stand by while tech companies recklessly exposed our kids to unacceptable and avoidable risks. Now, it’s time to make sure our collective vision becomes a reality. As a coalition, we’ll keep working to make sure tech companies comply with this law and that it meaningfully improves young people’s experiences online, becoming a beacon for ongoing kids’ safety efforts in the states and in Congress.”

Over the past year and a half, community organizations and advocates across the state united under The Maryland Kids Code Coalition banner to advocate for the bill, including: Design It For Us, Economic Action Maryland, Free State PTA, Grace McComas Memorial, the Maryland Association of School Health Nurses, the Maryland Association of Student Councils, the Maryland Association of Youth Services Bureaus, the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Maryland Coalition of Families, the Maryland Episcopal Public Policy Network, the Maryland Out of School Time Network, the Maryland State Education Association, the Matthew E. Minor Awareness Foundation, and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence – Maryland.

During legislative hearings on the way to the bill’s final passage, Maryland legislators repeatedly made national news by standing up to Big Tech lobbyists and exposing their deceptive tactics. Following Governor Wes Moore’s signature of the bill into law, the Washington Post reported that Meta would back down from threats to sue to stop the law from going into effect.

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