Key point: The court held that NetChoice’s complaint adequately states constitutional claims against Maryland’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act and allowed NetChoice’s lawsuit to continue, but did not rule on the merits of the claims or enjoin the law.
On November 24, 2025, Maryland District Court Judge Richard Bennett denied Maryland’s motion to dismiss a complaint filed by NetChoice challenging Maryland’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, commonly referred to as the Maryland Kids Code. NetChoice’s complaint alleges that the Kids Code violates the First Amendment and is preempted by federal law. The decision finds only that NetChoice’s complaint states plausible claims. The court did not rule on the merits of the claims and did not enjoin the law. In the below article, we provide a brief overview of the Kids Code and the decision.






