New York Governor Katie Hochul announced that social media platforms will display labels about their potential harm to the mental health of young users.
New York Governor Katie Hochul announced that social media platforms will display labels about their potential harm to the mental health of young users.
On Friday, Hochul signed a bill that requires social networks to add a mandatory feature that will warn users about «addiction,» Al Jazeera reports .
«Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority since taking office, and that includes protecting our children from the potential harm of social media features that encourage their overuse,» Hochul said.
The governor compared the social media labels to warnings on other harmful products — like tobacco and cigarettes, products that warn of possible cancer risks, or plastic packaging that warns of choking hazards for young children.
«Studies show that exposure to social media overstimulates the brain’s reward centers, creating pathways similar to those that occur in a person who uses psychoactive substances or has a gambling addiction,» the law states.
If social media platforms violate the rules after they take effect, the state attorney general will be able to take legal action and seek fines of up to $5,000 for each violation.
The law will apply within New York State, but not when users access the social media platform while outside the state.
The press services of TikTok, Snap, Meta, and Alphabet have not yet released statements regarding the new law.
With this social media measure, New York intends to join other US states, such as California and Minnesota, which have similar social media laws for young users.
The impact of social media on children’s mental health has become a global issue, and some US school districts have already begun suing social media companies.
As dev.ua wrote, in November, Australia passed a law banning social media for children under 16.
Since December 10, Australian teenagers have been banned from using social media — officials have advised them to read books and play sports.
Meanwhile, the American platform Reddit has appealed to the High Court of Australia to overturn a national ban on children’s access to social media, saying it threatens freedom of political expression.
