SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The state of New York is on the brink of making significant changes to how social media platforms operate for minors, potentially becoming the pioneer state in such regulation.
If passed, the bill would impose restrictions on websites, preventing them from collecting or sharing personal data of users under 18 without explicit consent, which strengthens existing privacy rules tailored for children under 13.
It would empower parents to enforce stricter controls over their children’s social media usage, including setting limits on usage times, particularly at night, and curbing the deluge of notifications that often contribute to addictive behaviors.
Kiera, a mother of five, said she doesn’t allow her children to use social media at all.
“My daughter, she tries to, but no. Because so much stuff can be put out on the internet, I don’t think it’s age-appropriate.”
According to Alexander Dunbar, a media ethics professor at Syracuse University, while the proposed bill presents a simplified solution to a complex problem, it may only offer a temporary fix.
“It feels like a very base level solution. This reminds me of Twitter [X] in the first few years when it was just tweets as they were posted and they came in chronologically but it was also a sort of very basic solution and I’m wondering if this is a starting point where they actually want to evolve this into something more complicated.”
If enacted, New York would join a growing list of states, including Arkansas, Florida, and Louisiana, in implementing laws to restrict social media companies’ influence.
However, industry groups have raised concerns, arguing that such legislation may infringe on teenagers’ First Amendment rights to access lawful information.
Gov. Kathy Hochul clarified that the aim isn’t to ban young people from social media but rather to shield them from harmful content. In an interview with NPR, she said the need to rethink the algorithms that dictate what minors see online, aiming for a more positive digital experience.
Transcript
NCC NEWS KALIA BUTLER – AS CURRENTLY WRITTEN, THE BILL WOULD RESTRICT WEBSITES FROM COLLECTING OR SHARING THE PERSONAL DATA OF USERS UNDER 18 WITHOUT CONSENT AND BUILDS ON THE EXISTING PRIVACY RULES FOR KIDS UNDER 13.
THE LAW WOULD MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES LET PARENTS PUT STRONGER LIMITS ON WHEN THEIR KIDS CAN USE THEM, LIKE AT NIGHT. IT WOULD ALSO CONTROL HOW MANY NOTIFICATIONS APPS CAN BE SENT WHICH IS WHAT TENDS TO KEEP PEOPLE HOOKED.WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY MOTHER OF FIVE, KIERA SAYS SHE DOESN’T ALLOW HER CHILDREN TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA AT ALL.
KIERA MOTHER OF FIVE – (“My daughter tried She tries to but no”) (“Because so much stuff can be put out on the internet I dont think its age appropriate.”)
KALIA BUTLER – BOTH PIECES OF LEGISLATION WERE INTRODUCED LAST FALL AS THE “STOP ADDICTIVE FEEDS EXPLOITATION FOR KIDS ACT” WHICH WAS CREATED TO LIMIT WHAT NEW YORK OFFICIALS SAY ARE THE HARMFUL AND ADDICTIVE FEATURES OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHILDREN.
PROFESSOR AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, ALEXANDER DUNBAR, SAYS THIS THE NEWEST VERSION OF THE BILL IS A VERY SIMPLIFIED FIX TO THE PROBLEM, THAT WILL LIKELY BE TEMPORARY.
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR ALEX DUNBAR – It feels like a very base level solution. This reminds me of twitter in the first few years when it was just sweets as they were posted aNd they came in chronologically but it was also a sort of very basic solution and i’m wondering if this is a starting point where they actually wanna evolve this into something more complicated.”)
KALIA BUTLER – NEW YORK WOULD JOIN ARKANSAS, FLORIDA, LOUISIANA, AND MANY OTHER STATES THAT HAVE PUSHED TO PASS LAWS CRACKING DOWN ON SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES.
INDUSTRY GROUPS HAVE CHALLENGED SOME OF THE LEGISLATION COMING OUT OF THOSE OTHER STATES, ARGUING THAT THEY INFRINGE ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF TEENS TO ACCESS LAWFUL INFORMATION.