Kentucky Children's Privacy Laws (2026)

HB 12 (2025 RS) — AN ACT relating to online protections for minors (combined app store + social media)

Pending — A bill was introduced this cycle but is not yet law. · App store · binds app stores, developers, platforms

Ages: under 14 (prohibited); 14-15 (parental consent); minors generally for app-store consent

Requires: App store providers verify user ages and obtain parental consent for minors; share age-bracket signals with developers; protect age-verification data. Social media platforms prohibit under-14 account holders, require parental consent for ages 14-15, and provide account/data termination. Office of Consumer Protection to set age-verification standards.

Litigation: None — bill never became law; no litigation.

HB 632 (2026 RS) — AN ACT relating to online protections for minors (App Store Accountability)

Pending — A bill was introduced this cycle but is not yet law. · App store · effective none (died · binds app stores, developers

Ages: minors (under 18), with parental consent tiers

Requires: App store providers verify user ages, obtain verifiable parental consent for minor accounts, share age-bracket data with developers, and protect age-verification data. Office of Consumer Protection to establish standards for age-verification methods.

Litigation: None — bill never became law; no litigation.

HB 227 (2026 RS) — AN ACT relating to addictive online platforms

Pending — A bill was introduced this cycle but is not yet law. · Social media · binds platforms, operators

Ages: under 16 (parental consent); 15 or younger (account disabled pending consent)

Requires: Large platforms (≥$1B annual revenue) strengthen age verification; use age estimation and disable accounts of users identified as 15 or younger until verified parental consent; limit addictive engagement features (auto-scroll, algorithmic feeds) for minors; restrict predatory data collection. AG enforcement + private right of action; fines $10,000+.

Litigation: None — bill never became law; no litigation.

Kentucky Kids Code (Age-Appropriate Design Code) · HB 633 (2026 RS)

Pending — A bill was introduced this cycle but is not yet law. · Design code · binds operators, platforms

Ages: Minors under 18

Requires: Would require online services likely accessed by minors to default to high-privacy settings for minors, restrict targeted advertising and the sale of minors' personal data, and prohibit dark patterns and addictive/compulsive-use design features aimed at minors (EPIC-model Age-Appropriate Design Code). Introduced 02/12/2026 by Rep. V. Grossl; referred to the House Small Business & Information Technology Committee 02/20/2026 and pending there as of today.

Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act (KCDPA) — minors' provisions · HB 15 (2024 RS)

In force — Effective and enforceable today. · Privacy law (minors) · effective 2026-01-01 · binds operators

Ages: Known children under 13 (COPPA); no separate teen opt-in band

Requires: Personal data collected from a 'known child' is classified as 'sensitive data,' so a controller may not process it without consent and must process it in accordance with the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA, 15 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.); a controller that satisfies COPPA's verifiable-parental-consent requirements is deemed compliant. A parent or legal guardian may exercise the child's consumer rights on the child's behalf. Kentucky follows the Virginia model and does not impose a separate heightened opt-in regime for teens 13-17.