New York’s top lawmakers unveiled legislation aimed at protecting children from the perils of social media, highlighting the urgency as mental health issues among teenagers have doubled in recent years.
The dual bills, endorsed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, Gov. Kathy Hochul, State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Nily Rozic, seek to curtail harmful social media features and limit the collection of children’s personal data.
“Social media platforms are fueling a national youth mental health crisis that is harming children’s wellbeing and safety,” said Attorney General James. “Young New Yorkers are struggling with record levels of anxiety and depression, and social media companies that use addictive features to keep minors on their platforms longer are largely to blame. This legislation will help tackle the risks of social media affecting our children and protect their privacy.”
The proposals come amid mounting concerns over the impact of social media on the well-being of young people. Recent studies point to rising rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm among minors frequenting these platforms.
The first bill, the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act, proposes to restrict addictive social media features that are detrimental to children’s mental health. The bill would set default chronological feeds for users under 18 and give parents the option to limit social media access during nighttime hours.
The second bill, the New York Child Data Protection Act, aims to prohibit online platforms from collecting and sharing minors’ personal data for advertising without informed consent.
“As a parent of two young children, taking legislative action to protect our children on social media is personal,” said Gounardes. “For years we’ve implemented safeguards to shield youth from major industries such as tobacco, alcohol, and personal vehicles.
“Social media can be just as…
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