Parents can get up to $5,000 per violation by suing social media apps; this US state signs act to protect kids from social media addiction- here's everything you need to know

Imagine handing a teenager a smartphone that can open the door to education, creativity, friendships and endless information. In the right hands, that technology can bring out a young person’s best qualities. But there is another side to the story: the same phone can become a nonstop stream of notifications, videos and recommendations designed to keep a teenager coming back. That tension is at the heart of a new law in New Jersey. The New Jersey Kids Code Act, signed by Governor Mikie Sherrill on August 11, 2026, establishes new rules for online services likely to be used by minors. The law is scheduled to take effect in September 2027.

Why Is New Jersey Targeting Social Media?

The basic idea is simple: lawmakers want online platforms to take greater responsibility for how their services are designed and how they handle children’s information. The law applies to certain covered online service providers and introduces restrictions on features that can encourage children to return to a platform repeatedly. It also places new requirements around privacy, notifications, data use and algorithmic recommendations. For parents, this could mean a significant shift in how social media companies are expected to treat young users.

No More Overnight Notifications

One of the most noticeable provisions concerns notifications. Under the law, covered platforms cannot send notifications to minors by default. They also cannot send notifications between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. During weekdays between Labour Day and Memorial Day, another restriction applies: notifications are prohibited from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. That effectively covers the hours when children should be sleeping and, during the school year, much of the typical school day. The goal is to reduce the constant digital interruptions that can pull young users back toward their screens.

Parents Get a Legal Route

This is where the law becomes particularly significant. If a covered platform violates the requirements, parents and the New Jersey Attorney General can pursue legal action under the law. A court can award $5,000 per violation or three times the harm suffered, whichever is greater, along with attorney fees in qualifying cases. Courts can also impose punitive damages for reckless or knowing violations and issue injunctions ordering companies to stop unlawful conduct.

That does not mean every notification automatically gives a parent a $5,000 payment. The law provides a legal remedy for violations, and any award would ultimately depend on the circumstances and the court's proceedings.

Children’s Data Gets More Protection

The Kids Code Act also addresses something teenagers may rarely think about: their personal data. Covered platforms generally cannot use a minor’s personal information for purposes beyond why it was collected. The law also places limits on certain algorithmic recommendation practices and requires platforms to give young users and parents tools to communicate preferences about the content recommended to them. Platforms must also take reasonable steps to ensure their use of children’s data and certain design features do not result in compulsive use.

What About Account Visibility?

Privacy extends beyond what happens inside an app. The law includes protections concerning how minors’ accounts, content, connections and locations can be displayed. Among other provisions, covered services face restrictions on displaying a child’s location and connected users without the required consent or choice. These measures are designed to make children's online presence less exposed while giving young users and their parents greater control.

A Bigger Debate About Teenagers and Technology

New Jersey's move reflects a growing debate over whether parents should carry the entire responsibility for managing children's social media use or whether technology companies should also be held accountable for the products they build. The state has already created an Office of Youth Online Mental Health Safety and Awareness to examine children's interaction with technology and social media. The Kids Code Act does not mean teenagers will suddenly stop using social media. Nor does it remove the need for parents to guide their children online. Instead, it tries to change the environment around them.

The Bigger Picture

Technology can help teenagers learn, create, communicate and discover opportunities that previous generations never had. But when every notification is designed to pull them back, the line between using technology and being controlled by it can become difficult to see. New Jersey is now betting on a different approach: make platforms build stronger protections into the experience itself.

The real test will begin when the law takes effect in September 2027. Until then, parents, teenagers and technology companies have time to prepare. And if the new rules work as lawmakers hope, the smartphone may remain a powerful tool for young people without being allowed to become an endless demand for their attention.