Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
New York will require warning labels on social media for teens
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Dec 21, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Dec 21, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Social media sites like Instagram and TikTok will soon need to display warning labels about their addictive design features when accessed by minors in New York.
It’s the result of a new law signed over the weekend, marking the latest step state leaders are taking to address teens’ near-constant use of social media.
The measure, signed into law late Friday after passing the Legislature earlier this year, will require platforms to warn users under 18 about the mental health risks linked to excessive use. The requirement draws from a U.S. Surgeon General advisory that cited connections between prolonged social media use and conditions like anxiety, depression and disrupted sleep.
Similar concerns have been echoed by Mayor Eric Adams, who earlier this year declared social media a “public health crisis hazard” in New York City.
Under the new law, platforms with features like autoplay, infinite scroll and algorithmically generated feeds must display warning labels to users under 18, similar to the ones already required on alcohol and tobacco products.
“When Big Tobacco was killing thousands of Americans, we stepped in with smart, thoughtful regulations to save lives,” state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, the bill’s lead sponsor in the Senate, said in a statement. “It’s time to do the same with Big Tech. This is about ensuring the internet is a tool that serves us, not the other way around.”
The labels must appear for at least 10 seconds when a minor logs on, then again for at least 30 seconds after three hours of cumulative use and once every additional hour after that. Platforms are barred from hiding the warnings in terms of service or other hard-to-find places.
Violations could result in civil penalties of up to $5,000 per incident. The law will be enforced by the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
State lawmakers have introduced other proposals aimed at curbing the impact of social media on minors, including a bill that would require selfie-based age verification and restrictions on how platforms collect data from teen users.
Representatives for TikTok and Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, did not respond to requests for comment.
Tagged
Politics
new york state
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says
Mayor Mamdani has expanded enforcement on towing scams, but the unlicensed towing industry remains largely unregulated.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 2, 2026 at 4:47 p.m. ET
Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Commissioner Jessica Tisch visited the officer in the hospital.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Commissioner Jessica Tisch visited the officer in the hospital.
By
Ryan Kost
DOC negligence factored in death at Rikers' Bellevue hospital outpost, jail officials say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Conductor on NYC subway that dragged man to death may have skipped safety check, source says
By
Stephen Nessen
NYPD still searching for man who threw burning substance on victim in East Harlem
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .