New York is set to impose major restrictions on social media algorithms to control content targeted at young users, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
The expected changes related to the working of social media platforms will bar tech companies from pushing content towards teens using algorithmic recommendations without parental consent. The development arrives under a tentative agreement reached by the lawmakers, the WSJ report says, citing informed sources.
Under the new restrictions, social media platforms would require parental consent for automated content and late-night notifications to underage users.
Leading social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, have been under intense regulatory glare in the US, with regulators and lawmakers calling for stricter restrictions against what they deem the “addictive” features on these platforms.
In December 2023, New Mexico’s Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the company of failing to protect children from sexual exploitation and pushing “harmful” content towards young users through its algorithms.
In October 2023, a case, supported by the attorneys general of 33 states, was brought against Facebook and Instagram, accusing their parent Meta of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The complaint alleged that Meta collected personal data of minors without the consent of their parents and its algorithms fuelled the “youth mental health crisis” in the country.
