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SAVE, coalition applaud New York social media bills, online safety leadership

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — SAVE and other members of the Kids Code Coalition applauded Senator Andrew Gounardes’s introduction today of the New York Social Media Warning Label Act, which joins the current session’s New York Children’s Online Safety Act in representing a major opportunity to advance groundbreaking design-based kids’ online safety legislation.

“With the addictive design of social media linked to alarming rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicide, parents and families deserve clear, actionable information to safeguard kids’ and teens’ well-being. Warning labels are a trusted, effective public health tool with a long track record of raising awareness about risks – especially among young people,” said SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education CEO Erich Mische.

The bills represent an opportunity to build on the 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.

“From toys to food, we have regulations in place to keep children safe. Why should social media products be any different? Social media platforms remain completely unregulated at the national level, which is why it’s so important that state leaders here in New York are showing that these platforms can and must be held accountable for child safety,” said MAMA (Mothers Against Media Addiction) founder Julie Scelfo.

“We applaud New York’s leadership and encourage broad bipartisan support for social media warning labels, which have already been embraced by 42 state attorneys general and Members of Congress from both parties,” said former Congressman Dick Gephardt, co-chair of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media.

The Kids Code Coalition is a wide-ranging group of national and state-based 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. Earlier this week, the Coalition applauded the introduction of age-appropriate design code bills in states across the country for 2025 legislative sessions and decried Big Tech’s lawsuit against Maryland’s 2024 Kids Code.

SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education is a national nonprofit working to end the tragedy of suicide through education and training programs, advocacy at state and national levels, lethal means safety efforts, and support for suicide loss survivors. We envision a nation that prioritizes mental health and suicide prevention efforts while reducing the impact of suicide on families and communities.

Direct inquiries to SAVE Marketing and Communications Manager Josie Gereszek or press@kidscodecoalition.org.

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