Monday is the final day for the public to weigh in on the drafted rules for New York’s new SAFE for Kids Act.
The 60-day public comment period wraps up Monday, and the proposed rules could change the way teens use social media across New York.
The SAFE for Kids Act, signed into law in June 2024, is aimed at cutting down on the addictive features that keep kids glued to their screens. One of the biggest pieces is that social media companies would no longer be allowed to send algorithmically personalized feeds to users younger than 18 unless a parent gives verifiable consent.
State Attorney General Letitia James’ proposed rules lay out how platforms would have to do that, including things like age verification through an ID upload, or a confirmed phone number or email. They’d also be required to delete or de-identify that verification information once it’s used.
Another big part of this is nighttime notifications. The rules would block platforms from sending push alerts to minors between midnight and 6 a.m., unless parents specifically opt in for their teens’ social media to be able to ping them in the middle of the night.
Parents and teens, though, should know kids won’t lose access entirely. Even without consent, teens can still use these apps, but they’d only see a chronological feed, not those curated, addictive recommendations.
The attorney general’s office is encouraging parents, educators, mental health experts, privacy advocates and anyone else with a stake in this to submit comments before the deadline. If these rules are finalized, the new protections would kick in 180 days later, making them some of the strongest online safety measures for kids in the country.
If you have comments, email protectnykidsonline@ag.ny.gov.