The New York State Legislature approved a new bill on Friday, June 7th, that seeks to restrict children’s exposure to potentially addictive algorithmically suggested social media content.
The legislation, expected to be signed by Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, allows parents to prevent their children from receiving algorithm-driven post suggestions on social media platforms.
Under this bill, social media companies will be prohibited from showing suggested posts to users under 18 unless they have explicit parental consent.
“Our children are enduring a mental health crisis, and social media is fueling the fire and profiting from the epidemic,” stated Attorney General Letitia James, who championed the bill.
She added, “New York state is once again leading the nation, and I hope other states will follow suit and pass legislation to protect children and put their mental health above big tech companies’ profits.”
The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act imposes stringent requirements on social media companies.
It mandates that these platforms verify the ages of their users and obtain explicit parental consent before granting minors access to algorithmic content feeds.
The legislation also empowers parents by allowing them to temporarily disable notification delivery on their children’s social media accounts during the night hours, specifically from midnight until 6 a.m.
The legislative move aligns with broader concerns about social media’s impact on youth, prompting calls for tech regulation from both state and federal levels.
The law would require social media platforms to adhere to these rules 180 days after Attorney General James outlines the necessary guidelines for age verification and parental consent mechanisms.
However, the tech industry has responded critically to the bill.
Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel of NetChoice, a trade group that includes tech giants like X and Meta, argued against the bill’s implications.
“NetChoice has defeated similar unconstitutional bills in three other states, where the judges in each of those cases highlighted the serious First Amendment and privacy concerns with this type of legislation. Parents — not politicians — should be making the rules for their families,” Szabo stated.
Efforts to regulate social media usage among minors have gained momentum across various states, yet the outcomes have been diverse.
In Utah, the state revamped its social media youth restrictions earlier this year following legal challenges. On the other hand, a federal judge in Arkansas has temporarily halted the implementation of a policy that mandates parental consent for minors to create social media accounts.
Meanwhile, companies like Meta have started integrating parental control features into platforms like Instagram to mitigate concerns over child safety in response to growing regulatory scrutiny.
