New York will also require social media platforms to label features aimed at keeping us engaged as harmful, marking the state as a first mover in treating digital design choices more like regulated public health risks rather than neutral tools.
Spurred by the possible effects on young users, who are especially susceptible to social media sites’ addiction-inducing features, the new legislation outlaws infinite scrolling and autoplay, as well as the use of algorithmic feeds at all, or without a “pause screen,” on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and X. Labels must show up when they do any such thing for the first time and then here-and-there-to-forevermore; it applies if you’re doing it in New York (whoever you are — New Yorker or not).
The approach is redolent of the blunt messaging of the tobacco era. It also reflects a call from the U.S. Surgeon General for warning labels in social media, using the logic that clear “repeated statements about risks” can reset norms and expectations around use.
What the New York law requires from social platforms
State regulators will determine the exact wording and placement of the labels, but the requirement revolves around prominent, plain-language warnings at the point of entry — think a prompt before an endless feed begins or autoplay starts up — and on subsequent per-session presentations.
The rule is feature-based and site-oriented. The warning should appear if you’re a New Yorker who opens a recommended feed or Reels-style scroll. Platforms are going to have to figure out where users live in non-predatory ways and reconfigure interfaces around web and mobile apps accordingly, if they want comprehensive coverage.
Specifics for how to implement this will be determined in rulemaking, e.g., on auditing, reporting and enforcement. In New York, the Attorney General is empowered to enforce consumer protection provisions, which means platforms would be held accountable if the disclaimers are absent or misleading.
Why warning labels are being mandated in New York now
Policymakers cite a crescendo of research on youth mental health and digital engagement. The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory about social media and the mental health of young people listed connections between heavy, compulsive use and risks including sleep disruption, attention difficulties and depressive symptoms. The American Psychological Association has also sounded the alarm about design elements that reward seeking out constant updates.
A multiyear longitudinal study was published in a top medical journal showing that higher levels of social media use among tweens and teens predicted increased depressive symptoms over time — they didn’t sit or talk face-to-face as the baby boomers had, but instead spent an undue amount of time lurking behind a screen. Any number of characteristics that encourage nonstop consumption have been identified as risk amplifiers by researchers.
Usage is near universal and frequent. Pew Research Center has found about three-quarters of U.S. teens use YouTube, and roughly seven-in-ten say they use Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok; a share say they are online “almost constantly.” That combination — high exposure and sticky design — is what makes warnings a logical, low-friction intervention for public-health-minded officials.
Industry reaction and how implementation may unfold
Platforms have already started to move toward such measures under pressure. TikTok broadened family pairing tools to include screen time limits and scheduling; Instagram introduced “Take a Break” nudges and Quiet Mode; YouTube provides break and bedtime reminders. These measures add friction, but critics say that self-regulation is no match for infinite scroll and autoplay, particularly when it comes to teens.
This requirement will compel product teams to bake in warnings at the design level. Anticipate playing with timing, cadence and messaging to satisfy the need without damaging user experience. Trade groups that represent the industry have sued states over state-level youth online safety laws elsewhere, so legal tests of New York’s approach are possible, especially on grounds of compelled speech and interstate commerce.
What users in New York will see on social platforms
Users can expect clear warnings when clicking into algorithmic feeds and scrolling through limitless content, followed by frequent reminders as your sessions persist.
These are not merely intended as fine print — imagine attention-grabbing notices to momentarily interrupt the flow and stimulate, one hopes, pauses and ideally breaks.
For families, the labels add a state-backed prompt to go along with device settings and platform tools. Schools and pediatricians could fold the notices into digital literacy and wellness instruction, in much the way warnings about nutrition or alcohol have become touchpoints for health education.
Will warning labels on social media change behavior?
There is precedent from other fields that warning labels are most effective as part of a larger package. Tobacco labels raised awareness and shifted perceptions; calorie counts added transparency but altered behavior unevenly. In the digital realm, labels can validate concern, educate parents and establish expectations — but any impact on screen time will probably hinge on parallel moves: stronger defaults for minors, time-use dashboards and design that prioritizes stopping cues over ceaseless pull-to-refresh.
Whatever the legal wrangling, New York’s move is an ambitious policy experiment. Should the warnings be prominent and easy to comprehend, they could end up serving as a national template. If they fade into the background noise, anticipate that in the next wave of policymaking we’ll move past labels to design restrictions with sharper teeth.
