Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires social media companies to add a label that warns users that there are negative mental health effects when those apps are used excessively in New York.

Highlights:

• Defines “addictive social media platform” as a website, online service, online application, or mobile application as a medium for users to interact with media by other users and provides users with an addictive feed, push notifications, autoplay, infinite scroll, or like counts as a significant part of the services provided by the platform (Sec. 1520(2)).

• Requires social media platforms with addictive features to display a mental health warning label every time a user accesses the platform (Sec. 1521).

• Authorizes the Commissioner of Mental Health, in consultation with health and education officials, to design and continually update the warning label based on current research findings on the mental health impacts of social media, especially on youth (Mental Hygiene Law, Sec. 7.48(a)).

• Establishes strict requirements on how the warning labels can be displayed and prohibits hiding them in terms of service, altering their visibility, or diminishing their purpose through visual design tricks (Sec. 1522).

• Prohibits social media platforms from retaliating against users by lowering the quality, increasing the price of products, or withholding services or features just for being shown the warning label (Sec. 1523).

• Authorizes the Attorney General to enforce the law, with fines of up to $5,000 per violation, lawsuits, and other user complaints submitted through a public website, maintained by the Attorney General. (Secs. 1524, 1526).

• Requires annual public reporting to be sent to governing officials on the design decisions, up-to-date research findings, and recommendations for future updates on social media platforms, with reports being available for public review on a public website (Mental Hygiene Law, Sec. 7.48(d)).

Full Bill Text