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Hochul Signs Law Requiring Mental-Health Warnings on ‘Addictive’ Social Media Features

Regulators will finalize non-bypassable label standards before the warnings begin appearing on platforms accessed in New York.

Overview

  • The law covers features labeled as predatory, including infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic feeds, like counts and push notifications.
  • Platforms must display on-screen mental-health warnings when a young user first encounters a covered feature and periodically afterward, with no option to bypass.
  • The New York attorney general is authorized to enforce the statute and seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.
  • The requirements apply to conduct occurring partly or wholly in New York and do not apply when users are physically outside the state.
  • The commissioner of mental health will set the content and duration of the labels through rulemaking, and the law takes effect 180 days after those rules are finalized.