Key Points
- New York law requires mental health warning labels on social media apps.
- The law targets addictive features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay.
- Companies can face fines of $5,000 per violation.
- Governor Hochul compared the labels to warnings found on tobacco products.
Governor Kathy Hochul just signed a new law that forces social media companies to put warning labels on their apps. New York is targeting platforms that use “addictive” features like infinite scrolling and auto-playing videos. The goal is to warn parents and kids that these apps can hurt a young person’s mental health.
In a statement on Friday, Hochul said that keeping New Yorkers safe is her biggest priority. She specifically mentioned protecting children from the risks of excessive social media use. She compared these new warnings to the labels you see on cigarette packs or plastic bags.
Just as we warn people about cancer or choking risks, New York wants to warn them about the mental health risks of staying glued to a screen for hours.
The law focuses on the specific tricks apps use to keep people engaged. This includes those feeds that never end and videos that play one after another without stopping. If a company breaks the law, the state’s Attorney General can take them to court.
Each violation could result in a fine of up to $5,000. Note that this applies only to people using the apps while physically inside New York State.
New York is following a growing trend of governments cracking down on big tech. California and Minnesota have recently passed similar laws. Outside the U.S., Australia went even further this month by banning kids under 16 from using social media entirely. Even the U.S. Surgeon General has been pushing for these labels for over a year.
So far, major companies like TikTok, Meta, Snap, and Google have remained silent. They didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. These companies have faced a lot of pressure lately, as many school districts are also suing them for causing mental health problems in students.
While the platforms argue they provide users with tools to manage their time, New York officials clearly believe a formal warning is the only way to protect children truly.
