completely Controversy over the use of mobile phones And the impact of algorithmic feeds on the mental health of minors, New York State Governor Cathy Hochul made a clear decision: Ban them. These are its implications and how it will affect the use of technology by minors
safe. Acronym for those Stop Addictive Feed Exploitation for Kids Act, the law that concerns us today. The law prohibits social platforms (such as TikTok or Instagram, although they are not explicitly mentioned) from providing “addictive feeds” to minors without parental consent. The easiest way to look at it is that a parent has to give their children permission to use TikTok “for you”.
What is an “addictive feed”? According to the law, “a website, online service, online application or mobile application, or a part thereof, where multiple multimedia elements are created or shared by users of a website, an online service, an online application or a mobile application, whether simultaneously or In order, to display to the user, in whole or in part, based on the information related to the user or his device. There are some exceptions, but the basic definition is that.
In that sense, the law itself requires platforms to use commercially reasonable methods to verify the age of users and, interestingly, also prohibits these platforms from sending notifications between midnight and six in the morning. Again, parents will have the power to allow this if they wish.
Target? As stated the edge, the promoters of this law, both Republicans and Democrats, assured that it was “to protect children’s mental health from sources of addiction using social media platforms and against sleep disturbances due to nightly use of social media”. The law will go into effect in 180 days and carries a penalty of $5,000 per violation.
Not without opposition. NetChoice, an industry organization representing companies such as Google, Netflix, Etsy, Pinterest or AirBnB issued a statement arguing that the law is “unconstitutional” because it “attacks freedom of expression and the openness of the Internet” and would “increase children’s exposure to harmful content by forcing websites to order content chronologically, prioritizing recent publications on sensitive topics.”
New York is not the first. In fact, the last state to join these initiatives arose in the absence of a proposal at the federal level. It’s on the table, call it however (Kids Online Safety Act), but it still has a way to go. last march, Florida approved a law that requires parental permission for minors under 16 to create a profile on a social network; and Maryland Approved in May Maryland Kids Code, a law that prohibits the use of functions designed to keep minors on social platforms.
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