During the worldwide push to ensure children can be safe on social media, New York has at last taken a call to enact and enforce strict age verification regulations. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) released guidelines for how to put the SAFE for Kids Act into effect Tuesday. The rules outline how these platforms will have to meet, including guidelines on what these walled-off features will mean for children’s age and how parental controls will work in those instances.

The New Age Verification Rules: All About It

The New York state government has announced that social media users who wish to have algorithmic feeds and notifications between 12 AM and 6 AM will need to confirm their age with the social media platform. Furthermore, the tech giants with user-generated content who have users spending at least 20 per cent of their time on algorithmic feeds will be asked to prove users’ age in a way that may be more accurate. At the present time, these rules represent acceptable approaches and performance standards. But they are not prescriptive on how to do it.

One of the options being considered to verify age is to offer a government-backed ID, The Verge reports. Notably, it also points out that the information gathered in order to establish the age of the users should be securely erased once it has been used.

Importantly, before the parent or guardian can grant or deny permission to use these features, which are walled on the social media platforms, minors must consent to the request for parental consent. 

The new law will come into effect from January 25, 2027 and failing to comply with it may cost the social media giant up to $5,000 per violation. Further, platforms are required to test the age assurance systems every year and keep the results.

Notably, many countries are cracking down on social media platforms to make their platforms safer for children. The UK earlier this month announced that teenagers will be given an overnight social media curfew after midnight, with an option for them to opt out of it by changing their account settings.