New York Attorney General Letitia James, Governor Kathy Hochul, and bill sponsors Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Nily Rozic announced the signing of pioneering legislation aimed at combating addictive social media feeds and protecting children online. The bill signing ceremony featured union leaders, advocates, parents, and children who contributed to advancing these bills during the legislative session.
The first bill signed into law is the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act. This act mandates that social media companies restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18. The second piece of legislation, the New York Child Data Protection Act, prohibits online sites from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal data of anyone under 18 without informed consent or unless it is strictly necessary for the website's purpose. These laws establish stringent protections to safeguard minors on social media in New York.
"Addictive feeds are getting our kids hooked on social media and hurting their mental health," said Attorney General James. "The legislation signed by Governor Hochul today will make New York the national leader in addressing the youth mental health crisis."
Governor Hochul echoed these sentiments: "Young people across the nation are facing a mental health crisis fueled by addictive social media feeds – and New York is leading the way with a new model for addressing this crisis."
Senator Andrew Gounardes emphasized that this legislation sends a clear message to Big Tech: "Your profits are not more important than our kids’ privacy and wellbeing."
Assemblymember Nily Rozic highlighted that over two decades after child online privacy laws were last updated, these new laws signal decisive action to protect young people from harmful digital influences.
The SAFE for Kids Act requires parental consent before users under 18 can access algorithmically driven feeds designed to promote high engagement levels. It also restricts notifications regarding addictive feeds between midnight and 6:00 a.m. without parental consent. Violations of this law can result in civil penalties of up to $5,000 per infraction.
The New York Child Data Protection Act enforces similar restrictions concerning personal data collection from minors. Both acts empower the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to enforce compliance through legal actions.
Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers, praised state leaders for prioritizing children's safety over tech company profits. Melinda Person from NYSUT also supported these measures as crucial steps toward safeguarding student mental health.
James P. Steyer from Common Sense Media commended state leaders for enacting groundbreaking bills that prioritize children's well-being over corporate interests.
This legislation aligns with Attorney General James' ongoing efforts to regulate social media companies' impact on youth mental health and privacy rights. Recent actions include urging Meta to address account takeovers by scammers and filing a federal lawsuit against Meta related to youth mental health concerns.
Assistant Attorneys General Nathaniel Kosslyn and Jina John along with Senior Enforcement Counsel Jordan Adler contributed to drafting this legislation under Bureau Chief Kim Berger's supervision within the Bureau of Internet and Technology.