Hochul Signs Two Historic Pieces of Legislation to Combat Addictive Social Media

A shot of the Alamo, AKA the Astor Place Cube, in Manhattan, New York.Photo byPhoto by J.M. Lesinski

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed a pair of first-in-the-nation pieces of legislation, aimed at combating addictive social media feeds that target vulnerable children online, closely following the U.S. Surgeon General’s comments on the necessity of warning labels for social media for kids. 

“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 the crisis and protecting our kids,” Hochul stated of the legislation. “By reining in addictive feeds and shielding kids’ personal data, we’ll provide a safer digital environment, give parents more peace of mind, and create a brighter future for young people across New York.”

The first, legislation S.7694A/A.8148A, officially established the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) For Kids Act, requiring social media corporations to restrict their addictive feeds on platforms for any users under age 18, unless parental consent is granted. The law also authorizes the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to enforce and ensure compliance via civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation. 

“Addictive feeds are getting our kids hooked on social media and hurting their mental health, and families are counting on us to help address this crisis,” remarked New York State Attorney General Letitia James of the legislation. “The legislation signed by Governor Hochul today will make New York the national leader in addressing the youth mental health crisis and an example for other states to follow. I applaud the sponsors, Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Rozic, for working with my office to introduce and advance this legislation, and I thank the legislative leaders for their support of these historic bills. As we move forward with the rulemaking process, my office will work tirelessly to defend these new laws to protect New York children.”

The second, legislation S.7695B/A.8149A, officially enacts the New York Child Data Protection Act, which prohibits websites from collecting, using, sharing, or selling the personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless prior informed consent is received, or collecting said data is necessary to the purpose of the website. The law also enables the OAG to enforce it, with civil penalties set at $5,000 per violation.

“As technology evolves, so must the ways we protect our kids from harm – both on and offline,” New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie commented of the legislation. “These bills will give parents the tools to help protect kids from predatory practices that impact their mental health by eliminating the addictive personalized feeds and will make online privacy the default for New York’s children, preventing companies from collecting and using their data. Thank you to our Assembly sponsor Nily Rozic and to Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and our partners in the Senate for all the work they’ve done on this to make online spaces safer for kids.”

Both pieces of legislation build on Hochul’s ongoing work to combat the youth mental health crisis, as well as helping establish the most solid protections in the nation for children across social media platforms.

“As we navigate the threats social media poses to our youth in today’s ever-evolving technological landscape, I’m proud that, under my leadership, the Senate Majority created the Senate's Internet and Technology Committee to focus on these issues,” noted Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins of the legislation. “I thank Governor Hochul, Attorney General James and Bill Sponsor Senator Gounardes for their diligent work on this legislation and collaborating with stakeholders and colleagues to reach an agreement that best supports our youth in achieving healthier social media usage. Together, we will continue to take all necessary actions to protect the mental well-being of our children.”