United KingdomAge Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code)
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What follows is LexLint's own research summary of this law, not legal advice.
In force since 2 September 2020.
An age-appropriate design code rule binding private bodies.
As of 15 July 2026.
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Requires providers of information society services likely to be accessed by children in the UK to apply 15 standards of age appropriate design, such as privacy by default, data minimisation, and not using nudge techniques that weaken children's privacy protections, under a statutory code of practice issued by the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 2018.
The code came into force on 2 September 2020 with a 12 month transition period ending 2 September 2021, after which the Commissioner and courts must take it into account when assessing UK GDPR compliance.
If you get it wrong
Private right of actionNo
Penalties
Enforcement under UK GDPR: fines up to the greater of GBP 17,500,000 or 4 percent of global annual turnover for the most serious infringements.
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
Information Commissioner's Office
What it reaches
Age threshold
18
Covered services
Information society services, including apps, websites, connected toys and devices, and online games, likely to be accessed by children in the UK.
Verification methods
Self declaration, Facial estimation, Gov ID
When LexLint raises it
serves_minors
Read the law
official Act text, Data Protection Act 2018 ss. 123 to 125, legislation.gov.uk
Every line above is drawn from the primary source linked here, read on the date shown. This is a research summary, not legal advice.