The governor of New York. Kathy Hochul signed a bill Thursday targeting addictive social media feeds for children and teens, declaring before signing the bill that “our children are in distress.”
“They don’t live carefree lives because they are held captive by powerful forces beyond their own control – intentionally addictive algorithms, designed to attract them and hold their attention,” Hochul told CBS News in an exclusive interview before the press conference. signing the bill.
The “Safe for Kids Act,” signed by Hochul on Thursday, requires social media companies to restrict “addictive feeds” for social media users under 18. It would also ban notifications from social media platforms linked to feeds between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. without parental permission. And it would require new age verification and parental consent tools to be established by the state attorney general.
Hochul said the measure particularly targets algorithms because “to free our children, we must go directly to the source of the trauma inflicted on them.”
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But a group representing tech companies pushed back, arguing the law would violate the Constitution’s First Amendment by censoring free speech online. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, told CBS News in a statement that while it does not support every aspect of this bill, it supports legislation requiring app stores to obtain parental approval to get apps. TikTok has moved forward to comment.
The Democratic governor said that while the approach was “new,” she added that “we checked to make sure it was constitutional.”
Hochul said that with the change in the law, social media companies will be put “on notice.”
“The first step is just to change the law, to put businesses on notice that it’s a new day in New York,” she said. “We are here with our children.”
The new law is expected to take effect 180 days after New York Attorney General Letitia James solidifies her exact rules and guidelines. James can then fine non-compliant social media platforms up to $5,000 per violation.
The development comes as related issues have gained traction elsewhere in recent days, part of a broader campaign to tackle social media use among children. The American Surgeon General earlier this week suggested that Congress should create a warning label, as it would for addictive products like cigarettes, on social media for teens. And the board of directors of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest public school system, vote prohibit students from using their cell phones during class hours.
While signing the bill Thursday, Hochul said “other states should start paying attention to New York,” adding that while she isn’t holding her breath waiting for a federal solution, a national solution is important.
“Congress can and must act,” she said. “But in the meantime, we will lead the nation.”