New York sued over law requiring social media ‘warning label’

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NetChoice sues New York over social media warning label law ahead of its 1 January start date. Read more at straitstimes.com.

NEW YORK – An internet trade group sued New York on Nov 13, seeking to block a state law requiring social media platforms that contain potentially addictive features to provide state-approved warning labels for users.

In a complaint filed in federal court, NetChoice said the law violates the free speech protections of the US Constitution’s First Amendment by compelling its members to convey the state’s “preferred message” about online safety.

The office of New York Attorney-General Letitia James, who enforces the state’s laws, declined immediate comment.

NetChoice has more than 30 members including Alphabet’s Google and YouTube, Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms, Snapchat parent Snap and ByteDance’s TikTok.

It has filed many lawsuits challenging regulation of social media businesses.

Signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in December 2025, the New York law requires social media platforms with infinite scrolling, autoplay and algorithmic feeds to warn about potential harm to younger users.

It requires the display of a “warning” from the US surgeon-general that while social media may benefit some young users, “excessive use may be associated with significant mental health harms”.

The statement is modelled after findings in 2023 by former US surgeon-general Vivek Murthy.

NetChoice said New York’s law is “designed to block, burden, and browbeat social media users” by subjecting them to the warning when they sign on and after multiple hours of use, with no way to bypass it.

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