New York Plans to Bar Social Media Companies From Using Content Algorithms on Teens

Social media companies could reportedly soon be restricted by New York from using content algorithms on teens. This is a move by the state to prevent the youth from being exposed to automated feeds that the state has long regarded as problematic.

The legislators' tentative accord aims to limit social media algorithms without requiring parental permission. It is anticipated that this week's vote on the measure, which is still in the final stages of development, will forbid platforms from notifying kids without parental permission while sleeping. 

Social media platforms have come under fire recently because of their tendency toward addiction and its effects on young people.

In February, Mayor Eric Adams of New York City announced that his administration has filed a lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram, two social media platforms owned by Meta Platforms, for contributing to the teenage mental health epidemic.

The same state also proclaimed back in January that social media applications are an environmental "toxin" and a public health "hazard," citing the mental health of young people as the primary cause.  

The mayor warned about the risks associated with social media and pointed out that his city is the first of its size in the nation to implement such a measure.

He continued by saying that, similar to how the surgeon general handled tobacco and guns, the city will now address social media like other public health threats, ensuring digital corporations take responsibility. 

Read Also: Meta Reportedly Testing 'Ad Break' For Instagram: Can't Skip Ads Anymore 

Social Media Legislations

To shield young people from potential internet hazards to their mental health, proponents of a bill that prohibits minors under the age of 14 from using social media and mandates that 14 and 15-year-olds obtain parental approval signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in March.

The bill states that it would apply to any feature that uses damaging, hazardous, or deceptive design elements or any other feature meant to give an account holder a massive or obsessive need to use or interact with the social media platform, even though it does not specifically name the platforms it would target.

Furthermore, social media companies would need to ensure that user profiles contain no personally identifying information and that the age of users is confirmed by an impartial, non-governmental third party not connected to the social media platform.

Social Media Ban

Recently, several states have taken action to limit the amount of social media children are exposed to, including Florida. Last year, Utah became the first state in the union to forbid adolescents under eighteen from using social media without parental consent.

Furthermore, starting at 10.30 p.m. The state prohibits children from using social media accounts from 6.3 to 6.30 a.m. A trade association for the sector sued Utah over the act, at the time. 

Related Article: Young Voters' TikTok Feed, Riddled With Election Misinformation