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In this photo illustration, a teenager uses her mobile phone to access social media. New York is the first state to pass a law regulating social media algorithms, amid allegations across the country that apps such as Instagram or TikTok have hooked users with addictive features.
CNN
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Big changes are coming for New York's youngest social media users, as Gov. Kathy Hochul signed two bills on Thursday that restrict digital platforms' algorithms and use of children's data.
The unprecedented move makes New York the first state to pass a law regulating social media algorithms, amid allegations across the country that apps such as Instagram or TikTok have lured users with addictive features.
Hochul's signing comes days after US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on social media platforms, fueling debate about the potential impact of social media on the mental health of users, particularly teenagers.
Under New York's Safe for Kids Act, social media platforms would be required to display content to children under the age of 18 chronologically by default, while the New York Child Data Protection Act would prohibit websites from collecting or sharing personal data of users under the age of 18 without consent — an expansion of existing federal privacy protections for children under the age of 13.
The SAFE For Kids Act also requires platforms to limit late-night app notifications, which state lawmakers say is designed to increase user engagement and poses a risk of interrupting sleep. Both laws were introduced in the fall of last year and passed by the state legislature in early June.
New York officials praised the law, calling it an important curb on the influence of social media platforms on teens.
“Today, we save our children,” Hochul said at a press conference on Thursday. “We have heard their cries for help, which reminds us as adults that we have a moral responsibility to protect young New Yorkers from harm and addiction.”
In a statement Thursday afternoon, a Meta spokesperson said, “While we don't agree with every aspect of these bills, we welcome New York becoming the first state to pass legislation recognizing the responsibility of app stores.”
“According to research, the majority of parents support legislation that would require app stores to ask parents for permission to download apps, and we will continue to work with policymakers in New York and elsewhere to advance this approach,” the spokesperson said.
CNN has contacted Google, Snap and TikTok for comment.
Some academics have said that while studies highlight links between specific types of social media activities and negative mental health outcomes — such as engaging in social comparison — a causal relationship between those harms and general social media use is less clear. Still, several states and federal lawmakers have pushed for legislation restricting social media platforms, arguing that the tech companies' products are responsible for eating disorders, sleeplessness, distraction and, in some cases, self-harm and suicide.
“This is going to save lives, my friends,” Hochul said at a press conference Thursday.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said Thursday that the bill would tackle “the most dangerous aspects of social media, namely addictive algorithmic feeds that exploit vulnerable minds.”
“These bills would give my office the authority to set the rules and make sure companies follow them,” James said.
Opponents of the social media algorithms bill — including but not limited to the tech industry — have said the legislation is likely unconstitutional because it violates children’s First Amendment rights and raises other questions about how social media might work in practice across state borders.
“This is a well-intentioned effort, but it's aimed at the wrong target,” said Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the tech industry advocacy group Chamber of Progress. “Algorithmic curation makes teens' feeds healthier, and banning algorithms would make social media even worse for teens.”
The signing of the bill sets the stage for yet another battle in lengthy court battles over the state’s social media laws.
Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and several other states have passed laws restricting social media companies' approach to teens. Industry groups have challenged that legislation, and courts have largely viewed the laws with skepticism. In Ohio this year, for example, a federal judge temporarily blocked a law that barred online platforms from creating accounts for users under 16 unless they obtained parental consent, saying the law likely violates the First Amendment.
Two states, Texas and Florida, have passed laws that would ban online platforms from moderating their sites; legal challenges reached the Supreme Court this session and a decision is expected in a few weeks.