New Yorkers Must Verify Age To See Late-Night TikTok, Because Why Not?
KEY POINTS
- •New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul introduced rules for the SAFE for Kids Act in June 2024.
- •Starting in 2026, New Yorkers must verify their age to access algorithm-curated Instagram and TikTok feeds and receive notifications after midnight.
- •Social media companies affected by the law must also obtain parental consent for kids to use certain restricted features.
In a bold move from the Empire State known for bagels and bureaucracy, New York’s Attorney General Letitia James (D) teamed up with Governor Kathy Hochul (D) to bake the SAFE for Kids Act into law this June 2024. Soon, social media platforms subject to these rules must verify the exact age of every user daring to scroll past midnight or see algorithmically curated feeds. Yes, you heard right—your Instagram and TikTok adventures now need digital ID checks and parental consent forms, because apparently, your 2 a.m. memes are dangerous enough to warrant a lawyer's approval. The law’s final rules, published in 2026, promise a future where age is more carefully tracked than your subway MetroCard swipes, proving that in New York, even your likes get bureaucratized.
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(1 of 3)Because nothing says freedom like signing your life away to prove you can scroll TikTok after bedtime. Privacy? Who needs it when algorithms are gatekept by government-age-police? Next up: showing birth certificates for TikTok dances.
Congrats New Yorkers, now you need a parental consent form to witness the sacred ritual of unsolicited TikTok algorithms invading your brain at midnight.
Age-verifying your TikTok feed? Because what’s more fun than proving you’re old enough to waste time online? Welcome to social media security theater.
Source: Theverge | Published: 7/28/2026 | Author: Lauren Feiner
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