CNN
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Two new bills have been introduced in the New York State Legislature that aim to protect children’s mental health online by changing the way content is served on social media and limiting the use of data by companies. , state and city leaders announced Wednesday.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and New York State Attorney General Letitia James made the announcement at the United Federation of Teachers headquarters in Manhattan, along with UFT President Michael Mulgrew, State Senator Andrew Gonaldes, Congresswoman Nilly Rogic, Community advocates were present.
“Our children are in danger and it’s up to us to save them,” Hochul said, likening social media algorithms to tobacco and alcohol. “The data on the negative effects of social media on the psyche of young people is irrefutable, and we are powerless to do anything about it because we know how dangerous algorithms are.” I cannot accept that.”
The Stopping Addictive Feed Exploitation for Children (SAFE) Act would limit what New York state officials say are harmful and addictive social media features for children. . The law would allow users under 18 and their parents to opt out of receiving feeds driven by algorithms that use users’ personal data to keep them on the platform as long as possible. Those who opt out will instead receive a chronological feed, similar to the early days of social media.
The bill would allow users and parents who choose to receive algorithmically generated content feeds to block access to social media platforms from midnight to 6 a.m., or limit minors’ time on the platforms. You will also be able to limit the total amount of time you can spend per day.
“This is a big issue that we all feel strongly about, and it has to be addressed,” James said. “Nationwide, children and teens are suffering from significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health issues, largely due to social media.”
The bill targets platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, whose feeds consist of user-generated content and other materials that the platforms suggest to users based on their personal data. There is. Tech platforms are designing and promoting voluntary tools for parents to help them control what their children see, leaving it up to each family to decide what boundaries to set. They argue that it should be entrusted to them. But that hasn’t stopped critics from demanding further action from the platforms or threatening further regulation.
“Our children deserve a safer and more secure online environment, free from addictive algorithms and exploitation,” Gounardes said. “Algorithms are the new cigarettes. Simple as that.”
New York’s bill comes amid a raft of similar bills across the country aimed at protecting young users by imposing tough new rules on platforms.
States such as Arkansas, Louisiana and Utah have passed laws requiring tech platforms to obtain parental consent before creating accounts for teenagers. Federal lawmakers have introduced similar legislation that would ban children under 13 from using social media altogether. A number of lawsuits against social media platforms also accuse companies of harming the mental health of their users. The latest of these lawsuits came on Tuesday, when the Utah attorney general accused TikTok of misleading consumers about the app’s safety.
Mulgrew argued that New York’s bill is necessary in part because of the lack of federal action to protect children.
“The last, first and only time the U.S. government passed legislation to protect children on social media was in 1998,” Mulgrew said, adding that the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), COPPA) cited federal law prohibiting information collection. Personal data from an American under the age of 13 without parental consent. In July, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance legislation that would extend COPPA protections to teenagers for the first time.
New York City officials on Wednesday also highlighted risks to children’s privacy online, including the possibility that children’s location and other personal data could fall into the hands of traffickers and others who may prey on young people.
“While other states and countries have enacted laws restricting the personal data that online platforms can collect from minors, no such restrictions currently exist in New York,” a press release earlier Wednesday said. ing. “His two pieces of legislation introduced today will add important protections for children and youth online.”
The New York State Children’s Data Protection Act prohibits all online sites from collecting, using, or sharing the personal data of anyone under the age of 18 for advertising purposes without informed consent or unless strictly necessary for the child’s education. Protect your children’s data online by preventing them from being sold. Purpose of the website. For users under the age of 13, this informed consent must be obtained from a parent or guardian.
Both bills would authorize the Attorney General to bring an action seeking an injunction or order for damages or civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, and a parent or guardian of a minor may receive up to $5,000 per user incident. Permits a person to sue for either dollar damages or actual damages. is larger.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that while social media has certain benefits, it also poses “significant risks of harm to youth.” The Surgeon General’s Social Media and Young People’s Mental Health Advisory published in May states that children and young people who spend more than three hours a day on social media are at double the risk of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The report calls the findings “concerning.” A recent study showed that teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media.