Big changes are coming for New York’s youngest social media users after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed two bills into law Thursday clamping down on digital platforms’ algorithms and use of children’s data.

The unprecedented move makes New York the first state to pass a law regulating social media algorithms amid nationwide allegations that apps such as Instagram or TikTok have hooked users with addictive features.

Hochul’s signature comes days after US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels to be applied to social media platforms, fueling a debate about social media’s potential impact on the mental health of users, particularly teens.

Under New York’s SAFE For Kids Act, social media platforms will be required to display content chronologically by default for kids under 18, while the New York Child Data Protection Act will restrict websites from collecting or sharing the personal data of users under 18 without consent — expanding on existing federal privacy protections for children under 13.

You can read more in an article by Brian Fung published in the CNN web site at: https://cnn.it/3VyQAxn