New York mandates mental health warnings on social media platforms
Spokespeople for TikTok, Snap, Meta Platforms and Alphabet did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported.
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Social media platforms that use features such as infinite scrolling, auto-play and algorithmic feeds will be required to display warning labels highlighting potential harm to young users’ mental health under a new law in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Friday, according to a Reuters report.
Hochul said keeping New Yorkers safe has been her top priority since taking office and that this includes protecting children from the potential harms of social media features that encourage excessive use. She informed that the warning labels are intended to alert users and families to the risks associated with prolonged engagement on such platforms.
The legislation covers platforms that offer what it defines as addictive feeds, including auto-play and infinite scroll. It applies to conduct occurring partly or wholly within New York, but does not apply when a platform is accessed by users who are physically outside the state.
Under the law, the New York attorney general is empowered to bring legal action and seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 for each violation. Hochul compared the proposed social media warnings to labels on other products, such as tobacco packaging that warns of cancer risks or plastic packaging that cautions against suffocation hazards for small children.
The move places New York alongside states such as California and Minnesota, which have enacted similar social media regulations. Internationally, Australia imposed a ban earlier this month on social media use by children under the age of 16, highlighting a growing global focus on the issue.
Spokespeople for TikTok, Snap, Meta Platforms and Alphabet did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported.
Concerns over the impact of social media on children’s mental health have intensified worldwide, with several US school districts filing lawsuits against Meta and other social media companies. In 2023, the US surgeon general issued an advisory calling for stronger safeguards for children online and later advocated the introduction of warning labels on social media platforms, a step now being implemented in New York.
