New Jersey Bans Targeted Ads and Infinite Scroll for Minors with $5,000 Fines

The U.S. state of New Jersey has passed the Kids Code Act, which is considered one of the strictest laws in the United States for protecting children and teenagers in the digital space, as it prohibits digital platforms from directing targeted ads to users under 18 years of age.

The scope of the law extends to banning the features of infinite scroll and autoplay when used by minors—two technical mechanisms that lawmakers argue are deliberately designed to foster digital addiction and keep users on the platform as long as possible.

The law sets fines of up to $5,000 per violation, representing tangible enforcement pressure on major digital platforms that rely on young users' data to generate advertising revenue.

New Jersey thus joins a rising wave of U.S. and European legislation regarding online child protection, posing a multi-front regulatory challenge for companies like Meta, TikTok, and Snap that target young demographics.

What do these terms mean?

**Infinite Scroll:** A technical feature that automatically generates new content whenever the user reaches the end of the page, eliminating the need to click to continue and keeping the user immersed in the platform.

**Targeted Ads:** Advertisements whose display is determined by an algorithm that analyzes user data and behavior to show ad content tailored to their interests, browsing history, and personal details.