New York Bill Empowers Parents to Control Kids' Social Media Feeds

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill enabling parents to block algorithm-suggested social media posts for their children. The legislation limits feeds to content from followed accounts for minors and restricts notifications. The law also faces criticism for potentially impinging on free speech and internet usage.

In a move aimed at curbing the addictive nature of social media for minors, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a transformative bill on Thursday. The legislation enables parents to restrict algorithm-suggested posts on platforms like TikTok and Instagram for their children under 18.

Under the new law, minors' feeds will be limited to content from accounts they follow, with additional restrictions on notifications between midnight and 6 am. The provisions can be deactivated if parents provide 'verifiable parental consent.' State Attorney General Letitia James is now tasked with developing rules for verifying ages and parental consent.

'We can protect our kids. We can tell the companies that you are not allowed to do this,' Governor Hochul declared during the signing ceremony. However, the law is expected to face legal challenges and has been criticized by tech industry groups as an assault on free speech.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)