The Tech Oversight Project today applauded the Vermont Kids Code becaming law, becoming the fourth U.S. state age-appropriate design code law and the second one signed by a Republican governor:
“Just last year, Governor Phil Scott vetoed the Vermont Kids Code. This year, he signed it into law – proof that calls for accountability for Big Tech on kids’ safety have become too powerful to ignore. This win didn’t happen by accident; it happened because Rep. Monique Priestley, Sen. Wendy Harrison, and lawmakers from both parties stood up to relentless Big Tech lobbying and out-of-state pressure. It happened because Vermont parents, families and youth advocates refused to back down. That’s how you take on outside money and win. Across the country, we’re seeing the same pattern: when communities unite, they can overcome Big Tech’s shady tactics and deliver real protections for kids.”
— Sacha Haworth, Executive Director, The Tech Oversight Project
About the Vermont Kids Code
S.69, the 2025 Vermont Age-Appropriate Design Code, will improve young people’s digital experiences by requiring tech companies to implement privacy-by-default and safety-by-design protections for kids online. This means not collecting or selling their data, setting high privacy standards by default, and avoiding manipulative design.
Community Support for the Kids Code
Vermont has seen a groundswell of community support for the Kids Code and data privacy:
- Manchester Journal – ‘It’s time to break free’: Legislators, students rally in Manchester for Age-Appropriate Design (Danielle M. Crosier, May 19, 2025)
- Greater Northshire Access Television – Rally for the Age Appropriate Design Code (The News Project, May 20, 2025)
- Kids Code Coalition – Letter to Governor Scott
- Front Porch Forum – Letter to VT Legislators
- Design It For Us – Letter to Governor Scott
Big Tech Lobbying in Vermont
Vermont, like other states pursuing kids’ online safety and data privacy bills, has also seen an influx of tech lobbying over the past several years.
- Major tech companies significantly ramped up their lobbying efforts to oppose the Vermont Kids Code over the past two years, underscoring Big Tech’s substantial and growing influence in state politics.
- Anti-Kids-Code lobbyists in Vermont and other states have been accused of not fully disclosing their affiliations and misrepresenting their positions during public hearings, undermining the legislative process.
- Anti-Kids-Code tech companies are known to employ indirect methods, such as funding local think tanks, community groups, businesses, and former state officials to influence policy outcomes.