Kathy Hochul, governor of New York, Photo: Anthony Behar / ddp USA / Profimedia
Social media platforms with infinite scrolling, autoplay and algorithmic feeds will be required to display warnings about the potential negative effects they can have on the mental health of young users under a new law, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Friday.
“The safety of New Yorkers has been my top priority since taking office, and that includes protecting our children from the potential negative effects of social media features that encourage overuse,” Hochul said in a statement.
This month, Australia introduced a ban on the use of social media for children under the age of 16.
The unprecedented global ban came into force in Australia – Millions of children lost access to social networks / What the big platforms say
With the law announced by Governor Hochul, New York is following the example of the states of California and Minnesota, which have similar social media laws in place.
The New York law addresses platforms that offer “addictive streams,” autoplay, or infinite scrolling. The initiative applies to activities that are conducted in part or in whole in New York, but not when the platform is accessed by users physically located outside the state.
The initiative allows the state attorney general to file lawsuits and seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 for each violation of the law.
Hochul compared warnings on social media to labels on products like tobacco, where they talk about the risk of cancer, for example.
The effect of social media on children's mental health has become a growing global concern.
In 2023, the US school physician issued an advisory on child protection measures and later called for social media warning labels like the one now being introduced in New York.
