S7694A

The New York State Senate unanimously passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes to regulate social media's impact on children, with all 60 senators voting in favor. Senate Print 7694A, which amends the General Business Law, restricts social media platforms from offering addictive algorithmic feeds to users under 18 without parental consent and prohibits the collection, use, and sale of minors' personal data for commercial purposes. The bill also prohibits notifications to minors between midnight and 6 a.m. without parental consent. Supporters cited alarming statistics on youth mental health, including that teens using social media more than three hours daily face twice the risk of depression and anxiety, and that nearly one in three teenage girls have seriously considered suicide. Sen. Gounardes invoked the case of Chase Nasca, a 16-year-old whose TikTok feed contained content encouraging self-harm. Multiple senators shared personal experiences with their own children's social media use. Sen. Martins noted he would have preferred stronger parental oversight provisions, citing similar legislation passed in Utah. The bill takes effect 180 days after becoming law. Supporters credited Attorney General Tish James and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic for their work on the legislation, which they said overcame significant lobbying opposition from technology companies.