WorkJuly 28, 2026via The Verge Tech
New Yorkers will soon need to verify their age to access algorithmic feeds
Why it matters
New York's SAFE for Kids Act enforcement creates the first major US precedent for regulating algorithmic curation at scale. Social platforms must now implement age verification and parental consent workflows—a compliance model that will likely spread to other states and shape how AI-driven personalization features are deployed.
Key signals
- NY Attorney General Letitia James released final implementation rules for SAFE for Kids Act
- Law signed June 2024, officially goes into effect January 2026
- Affects Instagram, TikTok, and other algorithmic feed platforms operating in NY
- Requirements include age verification standards, parental consent workflows, and restrictions on midnight notifications for minors
- First major state-level enforcement of algorithmic curation regulation in the US
The hook
New York just forced Instagram and TikTok to gate algorithmic feeds behind age verification. Here's what that means for your AI product strategy.
New Yorkers who want to see their Instagram or TikTok feed curated by an algorithm, or receive notifications after midnight, will soon have to verify their ages to access those features.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released a set of final rules on how to implement the SAFE for Kids Act, signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul in June 2024. The rules lay out in more detail what social media platforms subject to the law will need to do in order to comply, including standards for understanding users' ages and how to go about obtaining parental consent for kids to use walled-off features. The law will officially go into effect on Janua …
Read the full story at The Verge.