Technology

This bill, S 69 (Vermont Age-Appropriate Design Code Act), requires online services popular with minors to redesign their platforms to protect children’s privacy and safety. It directly affects businesses that generate most revenue from online services likely accessed by Vermont minors under 18 and collect their personal data. Key provisions mandate age-assurance methods to identify minors, set default privacy settings to the most protective level, ban features causing "compulsive use" (like addictive content algorithms), and restrict data collection for minors. The law also defines strict rules for handling biometric, genetic, and derived data of minors, ensuring data processing aligns with their developmental needs. It applies broadly to digital products like apps and websites, excluding physical products and basic internet services.

H.489 adjusts the Vermont state budget for fiscal year 2025 by modifying funding allocations across multiple agencies. It increases total funding for the Judiciary by $2.56 million (primarily through General Fund) and shifts $786,000 from Operating Expenses to Personal Services for the Agency of Digital Services. The bill also raises Human Services funding by $841,000, including a $4.3 million increase in the Global Commitment fund, while reducing Public Safety Criminal Justice Services funding by $681,000. These changes directly affect state agencies managing digital infrastructure, courts, public safety, and human services programs. The bill was vetoed by the Governor on April 4, 2025, and did not become law.

H 342 protects the personal information of specific Vermont public servants and their families by restricting data brokers from disclosing certain details. It applies to judges, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, public defenders, parole/probation officers, and related staff (including their immediate families), prohibiting brokers from sharing home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and vehicle identifiers. Covered individuals can request brokers stop sharing their protected information within 15 days, with violations subject to $10,000 civil penalties. The law excludes government agencies from being classified as "data brokers" under this provision.