NEW YORK CITY, New York: New York will soon require prominent mental health warnings on social media platforms that use features designed to keep users endlessly engaged, adding to a growing global effort to curb the impact of online content on young people.
Under a new law announced by Kathy Hochul, platforms that rely on infinite scrolling, auto-play videos, or algorithm-driven feeds must display warning labels about potential harms to children's mental health.
"Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority since taking office, and that includes protecting our kids from the potential harms of social media features that encourage excessive use," Hochul said in a statement.
The measure places New York alongside jurisdictions such as California and Minnesota that have enacted similar social media regulations. It also follows a recent move by Australia, which this month imposed a ban on social media use for children under 16.
The New York law applies to platforms that offer what the legislation describes as "addictive feeds," including auto-play and infinite scroll. It covers conduct occurring partly or wholly within the state, but does not apply when platforms are accessed by users physically outside New York.
Enforcement authority will rest with the state's attorney general, who can bring legal action and seek civil penalties of up to US$5,000 per violation.
Hochul compared the new social media warnings to long-standing consumer alerts on other products. She likened them to tobacco labels that warn of cancer risks or plastic packaging notices that caution against suffocation hazards for small children.
Major technology companies potentially affected by the law did not immediately comment. Spokespeople for TikTok, Snap, Meta Platforms, and Alphabet did not respond to requests for comment.
The move reflects mounting concern among policymakers, parents, and educators worldwide over the relationship between social media use and children's mental health. In the United States, dozens of school districts have sued Meta Platforms and other companies, alleging that their products contribute to anxiety, depression, and other harms among young users.
Federal health officials have also weighed in. In 2023, the U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory calling for stronger safeguards to protect children online and later urged the adoption of warning labels for social media platforms — an approach now being implemented in New York.
With the new law, New York becomes one of the most prominent U.S. states to mandate explicit mental health warnings for digital platforms, signaling continued momentum for tighter regulation of social media features that critics say encourage excessive and potentially harmful use among children and teens.
