OAN’s Abril Elfi
12:52 PM – Thursday, October 12, 2023
New York legislators have introduced a new bill that regulates teenager’s access to social media by requesting parental agreement before they can see algorithm-driven feeds.
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On Wednesday, Governor Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) along with Attorney General Letitia James, and two members of the state legislature introduced the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act (SAFE act).
According to the governor, the legislation comes at a time when mental health concerns are rising among teens across the United States.
Hochul continued, explaining how teen suicide rates have spiked and that more youth are being diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
“Our kids are in crisis, and the adults in the room need to step up,” Hochul said. “The statistics are extraordinarily disturbing: Teen suicide rates are spiking, and diagnoses of anxiety and depression are surging. It’s critical we all stand together to address the youth mental health crisis.”
The measure would ban services like TikTok’s “For You” page but would not affect information accessed through chronological feeds like TikTok’s “Following” page.
The bill would also empower parents or guardians to limit teens’ access to platforms and prohibit access between midnight and 6 a.m.
Failure to comply with the law could result in fines of up to $6,500 per infringement.
Antigone Davis, Meta’s head of global safety, said in a statement that the company already blocks most of its harmful content but will continue to work with legislators to bring easy solutions for parents on the issue.
“We refer to research, feedback from parents, teens, experts, and academics to inform our approach,” Antigone Davis, Meta’s head of global safety, said in a statement. “And we’ll continue evaluating proposed legislation and working with policymakers on developing simple, easy solutions for parents on these important industry wide issues.”
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, while social media has some benefits, it also poses “a meaningful risk of harm to youth.”
The Surgeon General’s Social Media and Youth Mental Health Advisory stated that children and adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face a twofold increase in the risk of mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety.
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