In a move to protect young people from the potential mental health risks associated with algorithm-based social media feeds, New York State officials are supporting new legislation that would restrict minors' access to these feeds unless they have parental permission. Governor Kathy Hochul and State Attorney General Letitia James announced their support for the legislation, arguing that algorithms are used to keep young users on social media platforms for extended periods of time, exposing them to problematic content.

The proposed bill would require anyone under 18 in New York to obtain parental consent before accessing algorithm-based feeds on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and others. Specifically, the legislation would target TikTok's “For You” feed, which displays personalized content based on user interests and past interactions. However, it would not affect a minor's access to chronological feeds that show posts from accounts they follow.

The bill also includes provisions that would allow parents to limit the number of hours their children can spend on social media platforms, block access to these apps overnight, and pause notifications during specific hours. The aim is to give parents increased control over their children's social media usage.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, responded to the proposed legislation by stating that algorithms enable teens to find like-minded interests and communities, and that they are used to remove harmful content from the platforms. The company also highlighted the range of tools it has implemented to give parents more control over the types of content their children can see.

However, Tech:NYC, a group representing over 800 tech companies, raised objections to the legislation, suggesting that it could infringe on free speech. The group also expressed concerns about the logistical and privacy implications of verifying user identities and ages, which could potentially require sharing government documents.

Similar policies aimed at addressing the impact of social media on youth mental health have gained bipartisan support. President Biden called on Congress to ban targeted advertising online for children in his State of the Union address, and the surgeon general has warned about the detrimental effects of intensive social media usage on adolescents' mental well-being.

New York's proposed legislation comes as a growing number of states are taking action to regulate social media use among children. Montana enacted a ban on TikTok earlier this year, resulting in a lawsuit financed by the social media giant. Utah became the first state to pass a law requiring parental consent for social media use by minors, and Texas followed suit. However, the implementation of Arkansas' law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge following a lawsuit by a tech industry trade group.

The bill's sponsors, State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, anticipate resistance from tech industry groups. However, Governor Hochul's enthusiastic support for the bill suggests that it may have a higher chance of success in Albany, where Democrats hold control.

In addition to the legislation restricting access to algorithm-based feeds, a second bill introduced aims to protect children's privacy by prohibiting websites from collecting, using, sharing, or selling personal data from anyone under 18 for advertising purposes. The state attorney general would have the power to take action against platforms found to be in violation of these laws.

The proposed regulations in New York align with rules already in place in Europe and could potentially result in significant fines for tech companies found to be non-compliant. The bills would empower the state attorney general to take action against platforms that violate these regulations.

Overall, the proposed legislation in New York reflects ongoing efforts to address the impact of social media on youth mental health and protect children's privacy. While the bills face resistance from tech industry groups, they have garnered support from state officials and may have a chance of success in the State Capitol.