6.13.24 - What to Know About New Social Media Protections for Children in New York
' On websites like Facebook, X and TikTok, a complex set of algorithms helps create curated personalized feeds to keep users engaged on the platform for as long as possible.
But for children in New York, that is about to change.
The State Legislature passed a bill last week that will disrupt the relationship between tech companies and young people by restricting the use of algorithms on minors’ social media feeds.
The legislation, championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, is meant to address growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health.
“These are ruled by addictive algorithms designed to draw the young people deeper and deeper into that darkness over and over,” she said.
Here’s what to know about the initiative, which Ms. Hochul is expected to soon sign into law. It will go into effect six months after the state attorney general releases regulations, which is expected to happen sometime this year.
How will this work?
Under the law, social media companies will be required obtain parental permission to provide algorithmically curated feeds to children under the age of 18. Social media companies would also be prohibited from sending notifications regarding addictive feeds to minors between the hours of 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. unless parents give explicit consent.
Young people will still be able to follow whichever accounts they choose without parental consent, but their posts will appear in chronological order.
How exactly any of this will be implemented and enforced is unclear.
The state attorney general’s office will be responsible for overseeing and enforcing the new regulations, which have not yet been entirely specified. It’s unclear how websites will verify a user’s age or ascertain that a parent’s permission was actually given.
Most social media companies already require users to be 13 years or older, but parental consent is not currently required for children who meet the age requirement to open an account.'