New York just became a battleground for children’s mental health. Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation this week forcing social media companies to slap warning labels on features designed to keep young users glued to their screens.
Key takeaways:
- Social media platforms must display mental health warnings before exposing young users to autoplay, infinite scroll, and similar features
- Users cannot bypass these warnings, which will appear initially and periodically during use
- The law follows the same logic as tobacco and alcohol warnings, treating certain platform features as public health concerns
The bill, S4505/A5346, passed the state legislature back in June. It targets what lawmakers call “addictive social media platforms”—services that rely heavily on addictive feeds, push notifications, autoplay, infinite scroll, or like counts. There’s one exception: platforms can avoid the requirement if the state attorney general determines these features serve “a valid purpose unrelated to prolonging use of such platform.”
Warning labels will appear when young users first encounter these features and continue showing up periodically. No skip button. No dismissal option. The approach mirrors existing requirements for tobacco products, alcohol, and media containing flashing lights.
Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for exactly this type of intervention last year, arguing social media warranted the same treatment as other public health risks.
“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,” Hochul said in a statement.
Assemblymember Nily Rozic, one of the bill’s sponsors, emphasized transparency: “New York families deserve honesty about how social media platforms impact mental health. By requiring warning labels based on the latest medical research, this law puts public health first and finally gives us the tools we need to make informed decisions.”
California lawmakers have introduced similar legislation, suggesting this approach may spread beyond New York.
This builds on momentum from last year, when New York passed laws requiring parental consent before platforms could show children addictive feeds or collect and sell data from users under 18.
Hochul has been busy with tech regulation as 2025 closes out. She also recently signed the RAISE Act, focused on AI safety measures.
Written by Alius Noreika
