NY bills target data, addictive social media to protect youth
David Robinson
New York State Team USA TODAY NETWORK
New York officials are pushing to ban internet companies from exploiting personal data and using addictive social media features in ways that harm youth mental health and development.
That prohibition is included in new legislation that seeks to tightly restrict how children under age 18 access and use the internet, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement announcing the bills.
There are “devastating mental health effects” linked to excessive social media use, she added, that fueled increased rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and self-harm among children.