Governor Hochul Hosts Roundtable on Nation-Leading Proposal to Keep Kids Safe Online

Governor Kathy Hochul today hosted a roundtable with parents from Common Sense Media to discuss her nation-leading proposal to protect children and teens online. The Governor's proposal will help protect kids from predators, scammers and harmful AI chatbots on online platforms. This proposal builds on Governor Hochul's nation-leading work to enact social media warning labels, restrict addictive feeds, create safeguards against harmful AI companions and restrict smartphones in schools.

"With evolving technology and online platforms allowing people to connect from anywhere in the world, it is important now more than ever to keep our kids safe online from any and all potential harms," Governor Hochul said. "This common-sense proposal will not only protect our children online, but also offer parents a peace of mind while their kids are gaming and scrolling on social media."

Common Sense Media Senior Director of Advocacy Campaigns Liz Foley said, "Common Sense Media thanks Governor Hochul for her commitment to strengthening protections for kids online in New York. Headline after headline has shown us that our children's favorite online games and social media sites have become prowling grounds for predators. Expanding age assurance, ensuring privacy by default, protecting kids from unsafe AI chatbots and giving parents more power to keep their kids safe are the safeguards families need and deserve. The governor is continuing to lead New York in the right direction for our kids."

The Governor's proposed legislative package to keep kids safe from emerging threats on social media and online gaming platforms includes:

• Expanding Age Verification: Expanding requirements for platforms to conduct age verification, including online gaming platforms.
• Privacy by Default: Kids will be set to the highest privacy settings on covered platforms by default, meaning non-connections cannot message kids, view their profile, or tag them in content. Location settings will be turned off by default, and children younger than 13 must receive parental approval for new connections.
• Disabling AI Chatbot Features: Disabling certain AI chatbot features on social media platforms for kids.
• Financial Oversight: Parents must be able to set limits on children's financial transactions, and view transaction history

This State of the State proposal builds on Governor Hochul's ongoing efforts to address the youth mental health crisis statewide, which has established New York as a global leader in securing a safer online world for children. Initiatives include:

• The SAFE for Kids Act, which restricts addictive features of social media for kids, and establishes important national precedent about age verification.
• The Child Data Protection Act that prevents online operators from collecting and monetizing children's data without informed consent.
• AI Companion legislation which set first-in-the-nation safeguards, diverting user conversations about self-harm to mental health resources and interrupting unhealthy addictive behaviors. The Governor also outlawed AI-Generated or Manipulated Child Sexual Abuse Material.
• The Unplug and Play Agenda which helps encourage the healthy socialization and child development by funding social infrastructure, physical sites like playgrounds, community centers and pools, and expanded youth programming.
• New York's Distraction Free Learning Policy which is already resulting in greater academic achievement, improved student wellbeing and safer school environments for students.
• The Warning Labels bill that will require social media companies post warnings about the platform's potential impact on mental health.

State Senator Andrew Gounardes said, "The simple truth is the online platforms where our kids spend so much of their time are failing to keep them safe. If Big Tech won't take action, we will. That's why I fought so hard to pass the SAFE For Kids Act and Child Data Protection Act, and why we need to build on those successes with these proposals. Thanks to Governor Hochul for convening this important roundtable."

State Senator Samra Brouk said, "As Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee, I recognize that youth mental health is a crisis in New York State and we have to use evidence-based solutions to help our young people in need. Governor Hochul's efforts to help parents protect our young people from predators, scammers and harmful AI Chatbots will help keep students safe while prioritizing learning and growth."

State Senator Kristin Gonzalez said, "Today's generation of children is facing an unprecedented threat of exploitation from Big Tech companies' bad practices. We're seeing headline after headline of tragic instances resulting from kids' unregulated and often unknowing access to AI chatbots, addictive media, and data mining. I look forward to working with the Governor to pass legislation that puts the safety of our youth first, while holding online platforms and technologies accountable for their unsafe features."

Assemblymember Steve Otis said, "Governor Hochul and the legislature have led the nation in enacting policies to protect children from technologies that can interfere, manipulate, take advantage of, or harm their education, growth, privacy, and autonomy. Children are especially vulnerable in a world where information about individuals is easily accessed by always evolving technologies. The Governor's additional safeguards proposed this year are the next step forward in protecting children from these threats."

Contact the Governor's Press Office