Nebraska Enacts Digital Protection Laws Safeguarding Minors

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has signed a comprehensive set of laws aimed at protecting minors from digital harms, including the Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act (LB504), which will take effect on January 1, 2026. This legislation requires social media platforms to offer chronological feeds instead of addictive algorithmic ones, impose time limits on usage, restrict data collection from minors to the minimum necessary, and ban ads related to gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs for underage users. Complementary bills restrict smartphone use in schools (LB140), mandate age verification and parental consent for new accounts (LB383), and impose criminal penalties for AI-generated pornography (LB172). The laws are designed to give parents and schools more control over children's online experiences and to address mental health concerns linked to social media. These measures align Nebraska with states like California and Maryland, which have enacted similar protections, though the legislation faces criticism from tech industry groups such as NetChoice, which argue that the laws infringe on free speech, privacy, and impose onerous requirements on websites. Despite opposition, Nebraska officials emphasize the urgency of protecting youth from digital threats and the addictive nature of social media platforms.