Warning Labels on Social Media Platforms Required in New York State

Highlights

• Legislation: New York has enacted a law requiring social media platforms to display warning labels similar to cigarette warnings.
• Targeted Features: The law applies to platforms with infinite scrolling, auto-play, like counts, or algorithmic feeds.
• Health Concerns: The warning labels aim to address potential mental health risks for young users.
• Global Actions: Similar legislative actions have been observed worldwide, with some countries banning social media for children.

The State of New York will require social media platforms to display warning labels similar to those found on cigarettes. The legislation was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday. It will apply to any platforms that feature infinite scrolling, auto-play, like counts, or algorithmic feeds. The labels will caution those on the platform about potential harm to young users’ mental health.

Social media companies will be required to display these warning labels when a user first interacts with any of the features the state considers predatory. The warning will also be displayed periodically after that interaction.

“Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority since taking office, and that includes protecting our kids from the potential harms of social media features that encourage excessive use,” Gov. Hochul stated. The law will apply when any of these platforms are being accessed from New York. Gov. Hochul also signed two bills into law last year aimed at protecting kids from social media.

Concerns over the mental health effects of social media platforms on younger users have been mounting, and government bodies have been increasingly taking action. A bill similar to the one in New York has been proposed elsewhere. This year, New Zealand became the first nation to ban social media for children, with other countries soon to follow.

Last year, the US surgeon general indicated that social media use should come with warning labels and highlighted studies associating social media use with increased anxiety and depression in youth. The risks of social media use on children’s mental health are significant and are still being evaluated.

We’ve reached out to Meta, Snap, and TikTok for comment and will update if we hear back.