Vermont

Rising Star

Vermont at a glance

Vermont mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools, ensuring their students can learn and connect with each other without distractions.
Vermont’s Kids Code will protect minors from harmful social media features.
Vermont's Attorney General is actively holding tech companies accountable.
While Vermont’s Kids Code mandates design changes for minors, it does not set a minimum age for social media accounts.
Vermont does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law.

Areas of Opportunity

Passing a reasonable childhood independence law will protect Vermont's families from unfair charges of neglect.
Setting a social media age minimum of 16 with no parental consent loophole will solve the collective action problem for Vermont families.
Creating legal pathways for families to sue tech companies for harm will help Vermont hold big tech accountable.
Expanding existing laws to address AI safety will further protect Vermont's kids from manipulative technology.

These opportunities are within reach for your home state. Download our policy menu, reach out to us, and reclaim childhood in Vermont.

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Dive Deeper

Childhood Development Policies

Is the state helping to solve the collective action problems families face by adopting policies that support a healthier real-world childhood?

Distraction-Free Schools
Vermont mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools, though it does not require inaccessible storage. It also prohibits schools from communicating with students via social media. View the state’s Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Childhood Independence
Vermont does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law, leaving too much discretion to the authorities and putting parents at risk of unfair neglect charges.

Political Leadership

Is the governor championing kids' safety, and is the Office of the Attorney General using its power to hold big tech accountable?

Attorney General Leadership
Attorney General Charity Clark has been active on tech accountability, filing a state-level lawsuit against Meta and another against TikTok, and joining the multistate litigation against TikTok. Vermont has also signed the AI Child Safety Letter, AI Local Authority Letter, AI Chatbot Safety Letter, xAI Grok Letter, and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Letter.

Tech Policies

What is the state doing to address harmful tech and hold companies accountable?

Social Media Age Limits
The Vermont Kids Code requires platforms to establish age assurance methods and implement default privacy protections for minors.
The Vermont Kids Code will come into effect in January 2027. The law doesn't set a minimum age for social media accounts.
Harmful Design Regulation
The Vermont Kids Code prohibits design features that encourage compulsive use or expose minors to harm, and restricts the collection, sale, and retention of minors' personal data.
A similar law in Maryland has faced legal challenges.
Tech Accountability
The Vermont Kids Code requires platforms to protect minors from harmful features. Features that encourage compulsive use or expose minors to harm are prohibited, and violations are considered unfair and deceptive acts under Vermont’s Consumer Protection Act.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
Vermont has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.

Family Perceptions

What do parents in the state say about their children's tech use, opportunities for independence, and real-life interactions?

IFS Resilient Childhood Score
Medium. Vermont parents report that their kids experience:
- Moderate levels of independent, unsupervised activity
- Moderate time spent playing outside and socializing with friends
- Moderate screen time, device ownership, and tech use

This page was last updated on March 4, 2026. The Childhood Index highlights key policies and actions and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If there’s something you think we missed or should consider, we welcome your feedback.