New York Unveils Legislation Requiring Mental-Health Warnings on Addictive Social Media Features

Overview

• Governor Kathy Hochul announced the proposal on Dec. 26, framing it as a youth mental-health protection effort that increases transparency for users.
• The requirement would apply to conduct occurring partially or wholly within New York, and it would not apply when users are physically outside the state.
• Platforms using the targeted features would need to display warnings about potential harms to young users’ mental health.
• Hochul likened the labels to consumer warnings on products such as tobacco, plastic packaging, high-sugar foods, alcoholic beverages, and certain videogames.
• Initial reports said TikTok, Snap, Meta, and Alphabet had not commented, and coverage placed New York’s move within a broader regulatory trend that includes California, Minnesota, and Australia’s recent under-16 restriction.