New York lawmakers seek to block children’s access to TikTok and Instagram algorithms

New York is considering passing a bill that aims to prohibit TikTok and Meta from providing minors with an algorithm-generated feed, requiring them to provide a chronological feed instead.

In recent years, there have been calls from multiple sections of the US government, both at the federal and state levels, for social media platforms to improve safeguards for minors.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, New York is in the process of developing a law that could potentially limit minors’ access to social media platforms.

Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her concern that algorithms used by popular apps such as TikTok and Instagram often expose children to violent and explicit content, which is something she wants to prevent.

TikTok and Meta will need to provide their content in a chronological order for users under the age of 18, however, they will have the option to offer algorithmic feeds through a parental consent opt-in process.

Instagramlogo on a phone — Unsplash: Brett Jordan

Instagram was acquired by Facebook in 2012

If this were to be enacted, minors in New York state would no longer have access to TikTok’s For You Page, which is the platform’s main attraction for viewers.

The potential legislation also features an additional provision that aims to safeguard the privacy of children by limiting websites from gathering or disclosing personal information of users under 18 without their consent.

During an interview with NPR, Governor Hodul was adamant about their intention not being to prohibit children from using social media, but rather to implement regulations for how platforms display content.

“We are not prohibiting young individuals from using social media,”she stated. “Our intention is not to prevent them from using it entirely. We are merely suggesting that they should be exposed to feeds that are organized in a more positive manner, rather than being bombarded with ones that can have a negative impact on them.”

Just two months prior, President Biden had signed a bill mandating that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, must either divest its shares of the popular short-form video app or risk being banned in the country. In response, TikTok filed a lawsuit against the bill, contending that it infringes upon users’ freedom of speech.