New York Seeks to Limit Addictive Social Media Feeds

October 12th, 4:00 AM EDT

Phone with social media icons.

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(NEWSnet/AP) — Proposed legislation in New York aims to limit how online platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, collect and share children's personal information and let parents keep their kids from being bombarded by "addictive" feeds from accounts they don't follow.

The bills offered by state leaders aim to protect young people from features designed to keep them endlessly scrolling, endangering their mental health and development, Attorney General Letitia James said.

The regulations sought by James and Gov. Kathy Hochul are similar to rules already in place in Europe, where violations could incur fines worth a percentage of revenue, which could run into the billions of dollars for wealthy tech companies.

The legislation in New York also follows actions taken by other U.S. states this year to curb social media use among children.

The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to decide whether state attempts to regulate social media platforms violate the Constitution. The justices will review two laws from Florida and Texas that mostly aim to prevent social platforms from censoring users based on their viewpoints.