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30-12-2025
NEW YORK: New York has approved a new law requiring social media companies to display mental health warning labels on certain addictive features, a step state leaders say is intended to reduce harm linked to excessive online use.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the measure Friday, targeting design tools such as infinite scroll, auto-play, and algorithm-driven feeds that critics say encourage prolonged engagement.
Why it matters?
The law places New York alongside states such as California and Minnesota that have adopted measures addressing social media’s impact on youth mental health, as pressure grows nationwide on technology companies to respond to rising concerns about children’s well-being online. This month Australia imposed a social media ban for children under 16.
What to know?
The law will affect major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube, all of which use features covered by the legislation. When users in New York interact with those features, platforms must display clear, unavoidable warnings about potential mental health risks such as anxiety, depression, and compulsive behavior. While the warnings may appear to any user accessing the features within the state, the policy is primarily aimed at protecting minors and will apply to millions of children and teenagers in New York who regularly use social media.
Hochul compared the new warning labels to those required on tobacco and other consumer products, arguing that families deserve clear information about potential risks.
Enforcement authority is granted to the New York attorney general, who can seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation. The statute applies to conduct occurring wholly or partly in New York but does not extend to users physically located outside the state.
Hochul said in a statement, “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. New Yorkers deserve transparency. With the amount of information that can be shared online, it is essential that we prioritize mental health and take the steps necessary to ensure that people are aware of any potential risks.”
Common Sense Media wrote on X, “NY, WE DID IT! @govkathyhochul signed our bill to require a warning label on addictive socialmedia. This happened because parents, young people & advocates spoke up & kept the pressure on. Thank you Gov. Hochul, @Sen_Gounardes & @nily for your leadership in this huge win.”
Last month, Lexi Hazam of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, court-appointed co-lead plaintiffs’ counsel in In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, told Newsweek in a statement: “Kids, families, and schools have been paying the price for decisions Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap made behind closed doors. Internal evidence shows they knew their social media products were addictive and harmful to youth, yet they pushed them into classrooms and kept parents and teachers in the dark about the dangers. As this case moves forward, the real human cost will continue to come to light, and these companies will be held accountable.”
Hochul signed the bill with a negotiated chapter amendment, meaning it will take effect on the condition that lawmakers pass a follow-up measure next session to make minor revisions. The specific changes sought by the governor were not immediately disclosed. (Int’l News Desk)
