NEW YORK, USA- New York’s state legislature has just passed the SAFE for Kids Act, aiming to protect children under 18 from addictive social media feeds. This bill requires parental consent before kids can access these feeds.
The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act targets algorithmic news feeds commonly used by social media apps.
These “addictive feeds” prioritize content based on user data. In contrast, “non-addictive feeds” that show content in chronological order will still be allowed.
Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to sign the bill into law. She has already expressed strong support, highlighting its importance in protecting young people from harmful online practices. Alongside the SAFE Act, the New York Child Data Protection Act was also passed, which restricts online platforms from collecting or selling personal data from users under 18 without consent.
“New York is leading the nation in protecting our kids from addictive social media and safeguarding their personal data from predatory companies,” Governor Hochul said.
“This is a historic step in addressing the youth mental health crisis and creating a safer digital environment for our children.”
However, not everyone is happy about the bill. NetChoice, a trade group that includes Google, Meta, and Snap, called the SAFE Act “dangerous and unconstitutional.”
The group argues that the bill would require social media companies to verify users’ ages and restrict notifications between midnight and 6 AM without parental consent. Violations could result in fines of up to $5,000 per incident.
“This is an assault on free speech and the open internet by the State of New York,” said Carl Szabo, Vice President and General Counsel of NetChoice.
“It forces websites to censor content unless visitors provide an ID to verify their age.”
NetChoice has successfully fought similar bills in other states, including Ohio, Arkansas, and California.
The SAFE for Kids Act was sponsored by State Senator Andrew Gournades and Assembly member Nily Rozic, and is supported by New York Attorney General Letitia James. All of them are Democrats.
