New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill Thursday that will restrict the content that is recommended to children on social media platforms.
The new law will bar social platforms from algorithmically suggesting content to users who are under 18 years old. Platforms will also be barred from sending notifications about content to those users between the hours of 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Users would be exempt from the restrictions if they get “verifiable parental consent.”
The sweeping new law will not take effect until officials iron out specific methods of enforcement. New York Attorney General Letitia James will have to set parameters for social media companies and enact processes for obtaining parents’ consent. Platforms will have 180 days after final rules are enacted to come into compliance.
Lawsuits against the constitutionality of the law are expected.
“This is an assault on free speech and the open internet by the State of New York,” said Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel of trade group NetChoice, which counts companies like X and Meta among its members. “New York has created a way for the government to track what sites people visit and their online activity by forcing websites to censor all content unless visitors provide an ID to verify their age.”
“We can protect our kids,” Gov. Hochul said at the bill signing. “We can tell the companies that you are not allowed to do this, you don’t have a right to do this, that parents should have say over their children’s lives and their health, not you.”
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