Relates to warning labels on certain social media platforms

Warning labels for New York social media

The law requires warning labels each time covered New York users access certain social media platforms. Covered platforms mainly host user-created content and significantly offer addictive feeds, autoplay, endless scrolling, public like counts, or push notifications. They cannot provide these features without the required warning. Users who are platform operators, agents, or affiliates are excluded. Features serving legitimate purposes unrelated to prolonging use can be exempted by the Attorney General or Commissioner of Mental Health. Exceptions also cover user-requested alerts and specified safety, public-interest, device, regulatory, and operational notices. The Commissioner of Mental Health sets the exact warning text after reviewing research and consulting health and education officials. The warning must address health effects generally and links for users under 18. The Commissioner sets when, how often, and how long warnings appear, can update rules annually, and must publish an annual report. Platforms cannot hide warnings in their terms, obscure them, change the required timing, or use designs meant to defeat the law. They cannot raise prices, remove services or features, or lower quality solely because of the warning, except as needed to comply. The Attorney General must maintain a public complaint website and can sue to stop violations. Court remedies include refunds, recovery of improper gains, damages, and civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation. The law takes effect 180 days after the Attorney General issues the rules needed to carry it out. Conduct wholly outside New York involving users physically outside the state is not covered.