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New York Requires Mental Health Warnings on ‘Addictive’ Social Media Features

Civil enforcement falls to the attorney general with penalties up to $5,000 per violation.

Overview

  • Platforms using infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic feeds, like counts, or push notifications must carry labels about potential mental health risks to young users.
  • Warnings must appear when a young user first encounters a covered feature and reappear periodically, and users cannot bypass them.
  • The law will take effect 180 days after the attorney general and the Office of Mental Health finalize rules that detail label content and timing.
  • The requirements apply to conduct occurring partly or wholly in New York and do not apply when a platform is accessed by users physically outside the state.
  • Major platforms had not issued immediate public responses, and the move places New York alongside states such as California and Minnesota as Australia enforces an under‑16 social media ban.