Governor Kathy Hochul signed two legislation aimed at reining in digital platforms’ algorithms and their use of children’s data into law on Thursday, which would mean significant changes for the state’s youngest social media users.
With this historic action, New York becomes the first state to regulate social media algorithms in response to widespread claims that features on applications like Instagram and TikTok have made users addicted.
Hochul’s signature follows US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s request for warning labels to be placed on social networking sites, which sparked a discussion on the possible negative effects of social media on users’ mental health, especially teenagers.
The New York Child Data Protection Act prohibits websites from collecting or sharing the personal data of users under the age of 18 without consent, building on the federal privacy protections for children under 13 that are already in place. The SAFE FOR Kids Act mandates that social media platforms display content chronologically by default for children under the age of 18.
Additionally, the SAFE For Kids Act mandates that platforms restrict late-night app notifications, which state legislators claim are designed to increase user engagement at the expense of sleep deprivation. The state legislature approved both pieces of legislation in early June after they were proposed in the fall of last year.
The act was praised by New York officials as a vital check on the influence that social media sites have over teenagers.
Hochul declared at a press conference on Thursday, “Today, we save our children.” “As adults, we have a moral obligation to safeguard young New Yorkers from harm and from addictive forces, as evidenced by their cries for help.”
“While we don’t agree with every aspect of these bills, we welcome New York becoming the first state to pass legislation recognizing the responsibility of app stores,” a Meta representative said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
The spokesperson stated, “We will continue to work with legislators in New York and elsewhere to advance this approach. Research shows that the vast majority of parents support legislation requiring app stores to obtain parental approval before downloading apps.”
CNN has requested comments from Google, Snap, and TikTok.
While studies have shown links between some social media behaviors and poor mental health outcomes, such as participating in social comparison, some academics have stated that it is less evident how these disadvantages are caused by general social media use. Nonetheless, a number of state and federal legislators have pressed for laws imposing strict regulations on social media platforms, contending that the goods of tech companies are to blame for eating disorders, insomnia, distraction, and, in certain situations, self-harm and suicide.
Hochul declared during the news conference on Thursday, “We will save lives with this, my friends.”
The law would target “the most dangerous aspects of social media, the addictive algorithm feeds that exploit impressionable minds,” according to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ statement on Thursday.
According to James, “My office will be empowered by these bills to set rules and make sure companies are following them.”
The social media algorithm bill’s opponents, who include members of the tech sector among others, claim that the legislation violates children’s First Amendment rights and raises other issues regarding how social media can actually operate across state lines, making it likely unconstitutional.
The CEO of the Internet sector lobbying group Chamber of Progress, Adam Kovacevich, said, “It’s a well-intentioned effort, but it’s aimed at the wrong target.” “Bananas that prohibit algorithms will worsen the effects of social media on teenagers, as algorithmic curation improves the health of teen feeds.”
With the signing of the Act, a new legal struggle pertaining to state social media regulations will begin.
Many states, including Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, and others, have enacted legislation that strictly restricts how social media corporations interact with teenagers. Some of the legislation has been contested by industry groups, and the laws have generally been met with skepticism by the courts. This year, for instance, a federal judge in Ohio temporarily overturned a law that forbade web companies from setting up accounts for users younger than 16 without their parents’ permission, stating that the act probably violated the First Amendment.
This term, the Supreme Court heard arguments challenging two states’ laws that would prohibit online platforms from censoring their websites; a ruling is anticipated in the coming weeks. Texas and Florida passed these laws.
Source: CNN
