Gov. Kathy Hochul signs bill to require warning labels on social media platforms

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation that will require social media platforms to display warning labels.

The warning labels will contain information on the potentially dangerous impact certain social media features can have on young users’ mental health.

Hochul said Friday that the law was about safety and 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," she said in a statement.

Social media platforms that offer features such as auto play or infinite scroll will need to post warning labels on their platforms. The labels will appear when a young person initially uses the platform and periodically thereafter, based on continued engagement. Users will not be able to bypass or click through the warnings.

Some studies have shown that teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression. 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.

Hochul’s office compared the warning labels to those found on other consumer products, such as tobacco, alcohol, certain high-sugar and high-sodium food products, and video games.

Assemb. Nily Rozic, a Queens Democrat who sponsored the legislation, said the new law was a matter of public health.

"By requiring warning labels based on the latest medical research, this law puts public health first and finally gives us the tools we need to make informed decisions," she said in a statement.

The new law will go into effect 180 days after the state attorney general’s office and office of mental health develop rules and regulations related to the law.