New York took a major step this week toward enacting new social media restrictions for kids and teens after the state finalized rules that curb access to a number of “addictive” design features.

The law, called the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act, aims to protect youth mental health by limiting algorithmic feeds and nighttime notifications, which can encourage young users to open applications and keep scrolling well past their bedtimes. It takes effect in January.

The guardrails, passed by the legislature more than two years ago with bipartisan support, tasked the New York attorney general with drafting the final rules. The rule-making process concluded on Tuesday.

“Social media companies, you’re now on notice,” Gov. Hochul said at a press conference in Brooklyn to announce the regulations. “Any platform that attempts to bombard our young people with addictive feeds or to monetize their mental health — which is exactly what’s going on — will face legal action.”

What does the law do?

The SAFE for Kids Act requires that social media companies obtain parental consent before granting young people under 18 access to algorithmic feeds and push notifications between midnight and 6 a.m.

Algorithmic feeds have been shown to keep users on platforms for longer by using personal data to serve unlimited content customized to them. New York officials say the feature may drive “unhealthy levels of social media use” that ultimately harm young people’s mental health, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

If a parent denies permission, the platform will automatically revert to a chronological feed of posts shared by people the child already follows, resembling social media apps before the rise of algorithms. Young people will continue to have access to search functions.