The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273) was enacted in September 2022 with a July 1, 2024 compliance date, but enforcement is fully blocked by a federal preliminary injunction issued in NetChoice v. Bonta on March 13, 2025, on First Amendment grounds.
What the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Would Require
The law would require businesses providing online services likely to be accessed by users under 18 to run data protection impact assessments, default minors to high privacy settings, and refrain from profiling minors or using their personal information in ways detrimental to them. That would sharply restrict targeted advertising to teens. Penalties would run up to $2,500 per affected child for negligent violations and $7,500 for intentional ones.
Why Marketers Should Keep Watching
As of mid 2026 the entire law is enjoined and the state cannot enforce it, so it imposes no current compliance duty. It remains worth tracking because the injunction is preliminary, an appeal could revive parts of the law, and its design code approach is the template other states, including Maryland, have copied.
Source: California Legislative Information: AB 2273 (2022)
Report a violation: If you believe a business is violating this law, you can file a complaint with the California Attorney General Consumer Protection.
