ALBANY, New York (WWNY) – Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James announced the final regulations for the SAFE for Kids Act Tuesday, putting social media companies on notice that they have 180 days to come into compliance before the law takes effect in January.
What the law requires
The SAFE for Kids Act, passed in 2024, imposes several requirements on social media platforms:
Age verification: Companies must confirm whether users are 18 or older.Algorithm restrictions: Personalized algorithms must be restricted for minors, limiting their feeds to accounts they have chosen to follow.Overnight notifications: Platforms are prohibited from sending notifications to minors overnight unless parental consent is obtained.
Hochul said social media companies are capable of meeting the age verification requirement, pointing to sports betting apps as an existing model.
Legal action threatened for non-compliance
Hochul said platforms that do not comply once the law takes effect will face legal consequences.
“Social media companies, you’re now on notice,” Hochul said. “The regulations are done; you have 180 days to come into compliance. Once the law takes effect in January, any platform that attempts to bombard our young people with addictive feeds or to monetize their mental health — which is exactly what’s going on — will face legal action.”
Hochul said the state will continue developing additional measures to protect minors online.
Copyright 2026 WWNY. All rights reserved.