Starting in January, New Yorkers will have to prove they’re adults before being allowed to scroll through their social media feeds. That’s the next and final step in the state’s plan to protect children from social media addiction.

The upcoming regulations, which are the final rules on how social media firms must restrict addictive features on their platforms, were announced by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James.

Soon, the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act, signed into law but not yet fully in force, will require social media companies to restrict algorithmically personalized feeds and nighttime notifications for users under the age of 18 unless they obtain parental consent.

Platforms now know what they have to do

More specifically, apps will be barred from sending notifications to minors between midnight and 6 a.m. Also, children won’t be able to view feeds that are based on their previous likes or engagements – officials say this is an addictive feature.

“It’s just about one simple premise: reclaiming childhood for our kids and letting them have that care-free experience that most of us grew up with,” Governor Hochul said.

James added: “These rules set standards for age verification and parental control to ensure tech companies are doing their part to keep kids safe on their platforms.”

To provide or have access to algorithmic feeds, “Addictive Online Platforms” that display user-generated content, and users who spend at least 20% of their time on such feeds will need to confirm users’ ages through a method that meets certain accuracy thresholds.

The attorney general had 2 years to develop regulations for age-verification systems, and they indeed seem pretty specific.

They require social media platforms to use third-party systems to document age. Checking a government-issued ID is one way the networks could opt for, but the rules also require them to give at least one alternative option.

Any gathered information will have to be deleted or “de-identified” immediately after its intended use, and it cannot be used for any other purpose.

Companies could also request an uploaded image or video or verify a user’s email address or phone number to “cross-check other information that reflects a user’s age.”

Any gathered information will have to be deleted or “de-identified” immediately after its intended use, and it cannot be used for any other purpose.

The SAFE for Kids Act will officially go into effect on January 25th. After that, platforms failing to comply will pay $5,000 each time they violate the regulations.

Groundbreaking or unconstitutional?

Legal challenges are probably coming, however. The national lobbying group NetChoice, representing large online firms, has already questioned whether the state of New York is unconstitutionally regulating speech.

“The First Amendment does not permit the government to ration how much protected expression individuals may access – whether in books, films, or online – and it does not allow the government to dictate how private entities organize and present that expression,” NetChoice warned in April.

James, though, said she was confident the law could withstand a legal challenge. Plus, the explicit consent of parents will be sufficient to override the upcoming restrictions for any minor, even if parents are happy with the new rules.

For instance, James Steyer, president of the advocacy group Common Sense Media, praised the rules as “groundbreaking.”

“New York is setting a national standard for protecting kids online by focusing on curbing addictive social media feeds and limiting late-night notifications that disrupt children’s sleep and well-being,” said Steyer in a statement.

Dr. Jeff Kazcorowski, chair of the NYS American Academy of Pediatrics, also applauded the new regulations.

“These rules are an important step toward creating healthier digital environments by limiting features that are intentionally designed to keep young people scrolling for hours. Children deserve technology that supports their well-being,” Kazcorowski commented.