New York moves to add warning labels ahead of “addictive” social media features
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation requiring social media platforms to present warning labels to younger users before they encounter engagement-driving features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling, marking the latest state-level push to address youth online safety.
The measure targets design elements that critics say can encourage prolonged use by continuously serving content with minimal friction. Under the new law, platforms will be required to provide a clear warning to younger users prior to exposure to these features, effectively inserting a moment of notice before the experience shifts into a more passive, continuous feed.
What the bill requires
At its core, the law compels covered social media platforms to display a warning label to younger users before the user is exposed to certain product features. The features highlighted in the bill include autoplay, which automatically starts the next video or piece of media, and infinite scrolling, which continuously loads additional content as a user scrolls.
Supporters argue that these mechanics reduce natural stopping points and can make it harder for younger users to disengage. By requiring a warning label before these features are presented, lawmakers aim to improve awareness and give users a clearer prompt that the experience may be designed to keep them engaged for longer periods.
Who is affected
The legislation is framed around “younger users,” signaling a focus on minors and adolescents. While the bill’s operational details—such as how a platform determines a user’s age, what the warning must say, and how prominently it must be displayed—will be central to compliance, the overarching requirement is a pre-exposure notice tied to specific engagement features.
Why it matters
The signing underscores a growing policy consensus that the debate over youth online safety is shifting from content moderation alone to the product design choices that shape behavior. Features like autoplay and infinite scrolling are widespread across major apps and services, and have been credited with increasing session length and time-on-platform—metrics that often correlate with advertising revenue.
By focusing on design, the law reflects concerns from parents, educators, and public health advocates who argue that constant streams of content can contribute to excessive screen time and make it more difficult for young people to regulate use. Proponents see warning labels as a relatively light-touch intervention compared with outright bans or strict limits, intended to inform rather than prohibit.
Implications for platforms and the broader industry
For platforms operating in New York, the law introduces new compliance obligations that could affect user flows and interface design. Depending on how the warning label must be implemented, companies may need to add interstitial screens, pop-ups, or other forms of notice before enabling autoplay or loading an infinite scroll feed for younger accounts.
Even if the requirement applies only within the state, major consumer technology companies frequently prefer uniform product experiences rather than maintaining a patchwork of state-by-state variations. That dynamic can amplify the impact of state laws beyond their borders, particularly when the state is large and the compliance burden is nontrivial.
The measure also adds to a broader trend of U.S. states experimenting with youth-focused digital regulation. As legislators across the country seek workable approaches, warning-label requirements may be viewed as an intermediate step—more direct than voluntary industry guidelines, but less restrictive than age-based access limitations.
What comes next
Key questions now shift to implementation: what qualifies as a compliant warning label, how “younger users” are defined for enforcement purposes, and whether the law sets expectations around timing (for example, a one-time notice versus repeated prompts). Enforcement mechanisms and potential penalties will also shape how quickly platforms adapt.
Industry response is likely to hinge on the practical details. Platforms may argue that existing tools—such as parental controls, screen time dashboards, and teen safety settings—already address some of the underlying concerns. Advocates for stronger protections, meanwhile, may see warning labels as a starting point and push for additional constraints on high-engagement features.
For now, Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature places New York among the states taking a more prescriptive approach to the design of social media products used by minors, with the warning-label requirement aimed squarely at the features that keep feeds moving and users watching.
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