ALBANY – The Kids Code Coalition applauded today’s final passage of the New York Social Media Warning Label Act, S4505, authored by Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, which passed both chambers of the legislature with bipartisan majorities and now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her signature.  

“We are thrilled to see this bill win final approval from the legislature, and we appreciate the support from the Speaker, the Senate Majority Leader, and our bill authors,” said Common Sense Media’s Liz Foley, Senior Director of Advocacy Campaigns. “As a New York mom and advocate, I know how important it is for parents to have greater awareness about the risk that social media poses. This warning label is one more step toward making the internet safer for kids and families.” 

The coalition hosted the bill’s authors for a virtual press conference earlier this year to emphasize the need for urgent action to address the youth mental health crisis and to highlight nationwide momentum in support of warning labels.

“Warning labels are a proven tool for raising awareness about health risks, and we wholeheartedly support New York lawmakers putting them on social media platforms. This legislation marks a critical step toward educating parents and holding technology companies accountable for the harm they are inflicting on kids and families,” said Julie Scelfo, Founder & Executive Director, MAMA-Mothers Against Media Addiction.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy continues to call on Congress to pass legislation requiring warning labels on social media, which he warns presents a “profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” Despite a lack of federal progress, states have stepped up to answer that call: Colorado passed a social media warning labels law in 2024 and Minnesota passed its own warning labels law just last week. California’s warning labels bill has made significant progress so far this year.

New York’s social media warning labels law will represent an opportunity to build on the national leadership New York showed last year by enacting the SAFE for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act, first-in-the-nation laws spearheaded by Senator Gounardes and Attorney General Letitia James to create critical online protections for New York’s 4 million kids and teens.

The Kids Code Coalition is a wide-ranging group of national and state organizations dedicated to improving youth online security and privacy by supporting policies that ensure companies prioritize kids’ and teens’ safety and developmental needs when designing digital platforms and products.

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