Following the passage of these new rules, social media businesses are prohibited from collecting data from children and sharing addictive feeds with them without first obtaining parental agreement.
The state of New York has just enacted two new regulations that place restrictions on the manner in which social media businesses engage with individuals under the age of 18 and collect data from them.
The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act were both signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday. Both of these bills provide protection for children’s personal information.
It is a requirement of SAFE that social media networks such as Facebook and X restrict the availability of addictive feeds to minors on their platforms. In accordance with a news release, these include feeds that are “algorithmically driven” in order to prevent “unhealthy levels of engagement.”
A further provision of the New York Child Data Protection Act prohibits the collection, distribution, or sale of personal information of individuals who are under the age of 18 on websites and devices that are accessible online.
In order to comply with these rules, businesses are required to get parental permission before allowing children to access feeds that are generated by algorithms or collecting data from them. In addition, the new rules mandate that social media businesses provide age verification and parental consent controls for their platforms, in accordance with the recommendations established by the Attorney General of the state of New York.
Two new laws have been passed in the state of New York that restrict the ways in which social media businesses engage with users under the age of 18 and collect data from them. In a statement that was made public, Governor Hochul stated that these new laws will “provide a safer digital environment, give parents more peace of mind, and create a brighter future for young people across the state of New York.”
There are laws that have been passed in other regions of the country that restrict or limit the access that youngsters have to their phones and online platforms. A bill that is comparable to the SAFE Act in New York was approved by the California State Senate. This bill would also prohibit social media applications from delivering notifications to minors during school hours and between the hours of midnight and six o’clock in the morning throughout the year. The Los Angeles Unified School District has implemented a limit on the amount of time that kids are allowed to use their phones while they are in school. In response to the judgment, Governor Gavin Newson of California made a commitment to collaborate with legislators on the development of a statewide law that is analogous to the one that was made.
The purpose of these new policies and laws is not limited to preventing children from using their mobile devices while they are in school. They are intended to aid in the treatment of mental health problems that are brought on by social media sites. Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, wrote an opinion piece that was published in the New York Times on Monday. In it, he referred to social media as a “significant contributor” to the decline of mental health among teens and demanded that social media companies include a warning label for adolescents on their various platforms and applications.