Convinced that social media platforms are fuelling a mental health crisis among the nation’s youth, officials in New York announced new legislation on Wednesday that would restrict algorithms that target young users.
“Young New Yorkers are struggling with record levels of anxiety and depression, and social media companies that use addictive features to keep minors on their platforms longer are largely to blame,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The legislation would, among other things, give her office new enforcement powers over social media companies.
Algorithmic feeds are designed to use personal data to serve users content that will keep them engaged for as long as possible. Supporters of the legislation say this has increased the addictive nature of social media platforms and heightened the risk to the well-being of young users.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube would all be subject to the legislation, which would allow users under 18 to opt out of receiving algorithmic feeds, allow parents to restrict access to algorithmic feeds between 12pm and 6am, and prohibit social media platforms from sending notifications to minors during those hours without verifiable parental consent.
The Attorney General’s Office would be empowered to bring an action for injunctive relief or to seek damages or civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.
In May, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned that excessive social media use could pose a “profound risk” to the mental health of young people in the US.
“I’m very concerned that social media has become a major contributor to the pain and the struggles that many of our young people face,” Murthy said in an interview on ABC News Live.
A surgeon general’s advisory is “reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate attention and action,” according to the report released by the surgeon general’s office.
The surgeon general said that while we’re in the “midst of a youth mental health crisis,” it’s important to identify possible causes. The advisory recognises that social media has both positive and negative effects on young people, but that ultimately there is not enough “research and clear data” to determine whether it’s “safe” for young people to use.
