California’s Kids Code Complicates Federal Privacy Bill Talks

California’s trailblazing law directing online services like Instagram and TikTok to protect children’s privacy is likely to complicate the path forward for a federal bill safeguarding consumer data.

The new law, enacted last week, adds to California’s lead over national efforts to adopt an overarching privacy law, though it may push the US Congress to act on kid-focused measures so standards are uniform across states.

“California has leapfrogged over any federal effort,” said Phyllis Marcus, a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLC who previously led children’s privacy enforcement at the Federal Trade Commission.

The state was the first in ...