New York Mandates Mental Health Warnings for Addictive Social Media Features
For the first time, the U.S. is seeing state-level action to treat certain social media elements as potential public health hazards.
In a significant move aimed at protecting young users, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a new bill requiring social media platforms to display mental health warnings before users engage with features deemed “addictive.” The legislation, S4505/A5346, passed in June and defines these platforms as those offering features like endless scrolling, autoplay videos, push notifications, and like counts as core components of their services. Platforms must show these warnings when a user first encounters such features — and repeatedly afterward — with no option to bypass them.
The initiative draws parallels to warning labels on tobacco, alcohol, and media containing flashing lights, and aligns with conversations sparked last year by then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who urged social media companies to adopt similar alerts. “Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority,” Hochul stated, “and that includes protecting our kids from the potential harms of features that encourage excessive use.”
Assemblymember Nily Rozic, a lead sponsor of the bill, emphasized the importance of transparency. “New York families deserve honesty about how social media impacts mental health,” she said. “This law puts public health first.”
The bill also allows for exemptions if attorneys general determine addictive features serve a legitimate, non-engagement-prolonging purpose.
This regulation builds on earlier New York laws passed last year requiring parental consent before children are exposed to algorithmic feeds or have their personal data collected and sold by social media companies. With California considering similar legislation, the policy could set the stage for nationwide reforms.
Hochul’s push to regulate social media comes alongside her recent signing of the RAISE Act, a sweeping AI safety bill, underscoring her administration’s focus on strengthening digital protections in 2026.
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