New York Attorney General Letitia James released final rules on July 28 implementing the SAFE for Kids Act, requiring social media platforms to verify users’ ages before granting access to algorithmically personalized feeds and nighttime notifications. The law, signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in June 2024, takes effect January 25, 2027, after which noncompliant platforms face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.
The rules apply to “Addictive Online Platforms,” defined as services that display user-generated content and have users spending at least 20% of their time on algorithmically personalized feeds. Under the law, platforms must default users under 18 to feeds showing only content from accounts they follow or select, displayed in a set sequence such as chronological order, unless a parent consents to an algorithmic feed. The same consent requirement applies to notifications sent between midnight and 6 a.m.
To grant adult users access to these features, platforms must confirm age through a method meeting accuracy benchmarks, including a low false-positive rate and the ability to detect attempts to circumvent the check at least 98% of the time, according to the rules. Acceptable verification methods include an uploaded image or video, or cross-checking a user’s email or phone number against other age-indicating data. Platforms that use government-issued ID must also offer at least one alternative method. Any data collected for age or parental-consent verification must be limited to the minimum necessary and deleted or de-identified immediately after use.
Parents seeking to consent on a child’s behalf must themselves undergo age assurance. Platforms cannot block minors from general access or search functions simply because parental consent for the restricted features has been withheld, and platforms are not required to share a minor’s search history with parents as part of the consent process. Both parents and minors can withdraw consent at any time.
The law has drawn support from child-safety and age-verification groups, including Common Sense Media, Fairplay, and the Age Verification Providers Association, whose Executive Director Iain Corby called the framework “a flexible, technology-neutral approach that platforms can meet using proven solutions already operating at scale around the world.” Nadia Swanson of The Ali Forney Center said the multiple verification options help protect anonymity for LGBTQIA+ and immigrant users.
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released final rules on July 28 implementing the SAFE for Kids Act, requiring social media platforms to verify users’ ages before granting access to algorithmically personalized feeds and nighttime notifications. The law, signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in June 2024, takes effect January 25, 2027, after which noncompliant platforms face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.
The rules apply to “Addictive Online Platforms,” defined as services that display user-generated content and have users spending at least 20% of their time on algorithmically personalized feeds. Under the law, platforms must default users under 18 to feeds showing only content from accounts they follow or select, displayed in a set sequence such as chronological order, unless a parent consents to an algorithmic feed. The same consent requirement applies to notifications sent between midnight and 6 a.m.
To grant adult users access to these features, platforms must confirm age through a method meeting accuracy benchmarks, including a low false-positive rate and the ability to detect attempts to circumvent the check at least 98% of the time, according to the rules. Acceptable verification methods include an uploaded image or video, or cross-checking a user’s email or phone number against other age-indicating data. Platforms that use government-issued ID must also offer at least one alternative method. Any data collected for age or parental-consent verification must be limited to the minimum necessary and deleted or de-identified immediately after use.
Parents seeking to consent on a child’s behalf must themselves undergo age assurance. Platforms cannot block minors from general access or search functions simply because parental consent for the restricted features has been withheld, and platforms are not required to share a minor’s search history with parents as part of the consent process. Both parents and minors can withdraw consent at any time.
The law has drawn support from child-safety and age-verification groups, including Common Sense Media, Fairplay, and the Age Verification Providers Association, whose Executive Director Iain Corby called the framework “a flexible, technology-neutral approach that platforms can meet using proven solutions already operating at scale around the world.” Nadia Swanson of The Ali Forney Center said the multiple verification options help protect anonymity for LGBTQIA+ and immigrant users.
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