Governor Hochul signs legislation to require warning labels on social media platforms

ALBANY, NY- Governor Kathy Hochul has negotiated a chapter amendment and signed legislation that will require social media platforms to display labels warning of the dangerous impact certain features can have on young users’ mental health.

Under the chapter amendment, this legislation requires social media platforms that offer addictive feeds, auto play or infinite scroll to post warning labels on their platforms.

"New Yorkers deserve transparency. With the amount of information that can be shared online, it is essential that we prioritize mental health and take the steps necessary to ensure that people are aware of any potential risks,” the Governor said.

According to the Governor’s Office, there is data to suggest adolescents who spend more than three-hours a day on social media are at double the risk of suffering from anxiety and depression.

About half of adolescents claim that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies, the Governor’s Office claimed, and teenagers with the highest levels of social media use are nearly twice as likely to rate their overall mental health as poor or very poor.

Governor Kathy Hochul image.