New York’s Attorney General is taking action to regulate social media feeds that are designed to be addictive to children. The proposed rules, including requirements for verifying a user’s age, are a direct response to the SAFE Act, passed last year. This law restricts social media companies from delivering algorithmically-personalized feeds to users under 18 unless parental consent is granted. Therefore, platforms like TikTok and Instagram will need to limit feeds for young users to only show content from accounts they follow.
In addition to these restrictions, the new rules will also prevent companies from sending notifications to users under the age of 18 between midnight and 6 am. The Attorney General’s office has also detailed potential methods companies can use to confirm user age and obtain parental consent.