The New York City Council is weighing a local law that would cap kids' social media use at one hour per day, cut off targeted ads and algorithmic feeds for young users, and let parents decide whether to opt out. The proposal, introduced by Councilmember Althea V. Stevens, would also open the door to civil penalties and lawsuits tied to violations. Backers are pitching it as a public health move in a city worried about youth mental health, while critics are already eyeing enforcement headaches and constitutional fights. A City Council hearing on the package is set for April 21, 2026.
Int. 0450‑2026, filed by Stevens with Councilmembers Kevin C. Riley and Nantasha M. Williams, is on the Council's Children and Youth committee docket. The City Council has scheduled a joint oversight hearing titled "The Effects Social Media and Screen Time on Youth Mental Health" for April 21, 2026, according to the City Council agenda. The Council's legislative records describe the bill as an amendment to the administrative code that would block platforms from promoting targeted advertisements or content to people the city classifies as youth, per the Council legislative record.
What the bill would do
According to PIX11, the bill's memo spells out a one hour daily limit for anyone under 17, with a key caveat. A parent or guardian could waive that cap, effectively letting families decide whether to stick with the default. The same memo says platforms would be barred from serving targeted ads or algorithm-driven feeds to minors, and it argues the approach "prioritizes youth wellbeing over profit" while casting digital safety for kids as a contemporary public safety concern.
The enforcement section is where the teeth come in. The measure would set up a civil enforcement system that includes a minimum fine of $5,000 per violation. It would also give residents and organizations a private right of action, allowing them to sue platforms and seek court fees and damages for financial, physical, or emotional harm tied to non-compliance. In other words, if the bill becomes law, companies could face both city penalties and lawsuits from New Yorkers who say they were harmed.
State and legal context
New York City is stepping into a fight that is already playing out at the state level elsewhere. Virginia's SB 854, now part of state law, sets a default one hour daily limit on social media use for users under 16 and requires age screening; the statute appears in the Code of Virginia. That law has already landed in court, and the federal case testing Virginia's enforcement can be found in public filings on Justia. California's bid to curb algorithmic "addictive feeds" for minors after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 976 also triggered major litigation, and national coverage has tracked the back-and-forth.
Legal questions ahead
Industry groups such as NetChoice have argued that laws like these effectively regulate online speech and require aggressive age verification that can create its own privacy problems. Trade associations have already gone to court over similar measures in other states, and judges have sometimes put parts of those laws on hold while they sort out First Amendment issues and how enforcement would actually work. That track record points to the kind of legal uncertainty a New York City ordinance could invite and highlights the practical questions City staff will have to answer on administration, privacy, and constitutional limits.
What's next
The bill is headed to a joint hearing of the Children and Youth, Mental Health and Substance Use, and Oversight & Investigations committees on April 21, 2026. Council staff, parents, mental health experts, and representatives from the major platforms are expected to weigh in. If the committees advance the measure, it could be revised and then sent to the full Council for a vote later in the spring. Any passage would almost certainly draw rapid legal scrutiny and pushback from tech trade groups.
In the meantime, neighborhood organizations and parents are drafting testimony and public comments, and the City Council agenda remains the main place to track how the proposal moves through City Hall.
