Hochul proposes sweeping laws to protect kids from online dangers and AI bots

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled a comprehensive legislative package aimed at safeguarding the online well-being of New York's children from predators, manipulative AI chatbots, and toxic social media features. The proposals form part of her 2026 State of the State agenda, signaling a significant escalation in efforts to regulate minors' social media use.

The U.S. Surgeon General has highlighted the alarming link between social media use among teenagers and rising rates of anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep patterns, and other mental health concerns. In response, New York City has designated excessive social media use as a public health hazard, underscoring the need for effective measures to mitigate its adverse effects.

The new legislative package builds on existing regulations, including the ban on smartphones in classrooms and mandatory warning labels on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The proposed laws would strengthen age verification processes for online platforms, enabling parents to monitor underage users' financial transactions and restricting their access to sensitive information.

To ensure children's safety online and offline, the plan calls for social media sites to disable AI chatbot features for minors and set high default privacy settings, including location tracking restrictions. These measures aim to prevent online exploitation, cyberbullying, and data breaches.

Governor Hochul stated that her proposals would establish a "nation-leading standard" in safeguarding children's online safety and well-being. The governor is also proposing the integration of teen mental health first aid training into the curriculum for 10th graders statewide, as well as offering specialized training for adults working with youth in schools and community programs.

TikTok and Meta have yet to respond to requests for comment on the proposals, but it is clear that Governor Hochul's initiative marks a significant step forward in protecting New York's children from the risks associated with online engagement.
 
OMG 😍 this is like the best thing ever!! 🤩 NY is taking proactive steps to protect our kids online and offline 💖! I'm all about giving Gov Hochul major props for creating a comprehensive legislative package that puts kids' safety first 🙌! The proposed laws on age verification, AI chatbot features, and social media monitoring are like total game-changers 💡👍. It's amazing how the US Surgeon General is sounding the alarm on social media's negative effects on teens' mental health 🚨💔 but NY is taking it to the next level! 🏆 Let's hope other states follow suit and we can start making online safety a national priority 💪🌎
 
idk about this new law 🤔... how do we really know these AI chatbots are as bad as everyone makes them out to be? 🤖 I mean, have there been any credible studies on the topic? what's the actual data? 💡 I'm not saying it's a good thing for kids online, but let's not jump to conclusions without doing our due diligence. sources, please! 👀
 
OMG, like, can we talk about this? 🤯 I'm all for keeping our kiddos safe online, but are we really gonna control every single thing they do on social media? It feels like we're just creating more rules instead of having a real conversation about what's going on in their lives. Like, isn't it cool that they can connect with people from all over the world and share their passions? 🤷‍♀️ And what's up with AI chatbots already being banned? Are we just gonna replace them with something else that's, like, way more sinister? 😏
 
I'm low-key so relieved that Gov Hochul is taking action on this 🙌. I mean, as a parent myself, you can only imagine how worried you'd be if your kid was getting exploited or bullied online. The fact that NY is leading the way on this is a big deal 💡. It's about time we acknowledge the impact social media has on our teens' mental health 🤯. I'm all for strengthening age verification processes and disabling AI chatbot features for minors - it's like, basic human rights, you know? 😊

And can we talk about how TikTok and Meta are already being super shady by not commenting on the proposals yet? Like, come on guys! You're gonna have to step up your game if you wanna keep up with this 🙄. Overall, I'm hella impressed with Gov Hochul's initiative - it's a major win for our kids' online safety and well-being 🎉. Fingers crossed more states follow suit 🤞.
 
🤔 This is about time. I'm all for keeping our kids safe online... 👍 They're already dealing enough with school and friends without having to worry about predators and cyberbullies on social media 🤕. A ban on smartphones in classrooms was a good start, but it's nice to see the governor taking this issue seriously 💯. Now let's hope these laws actually get passed and don't get watered down by special interests 😒.
 
OMG 🤯, this is soooo good news!!! I'm literally freaking out right now because our kids are being protected! 😌 It's about time we take action to make sure they're safe online and offline. I mean, have you seen how many times you see cyberbullying and online harassment on social media? 🤕 It's heartbreaking.

And yeah, the AI chatbot thing is super concerning too 🤖. I'm glad that Governor Hochul is taking steps to disable them for minors. That's a huge step forward in protecting our kids' mental health. 💡

I also love that they're integrating teen mental health first aid training into the curriculum 📚👍. That's so important. We need to make sure that adults are equipped to handle these situations and provide support when needed.

I'm not surprised that TikTok and Meta haven't responded yet 🤔, but Governor Hochul's initiative is definitely setting a new standard for online safety. Kudos to her for taking action! 👏
 
idk why its taking so long for the big platforms like Tiktok & Instagram to crack down on toxic features already 🤯🚫 they should've done this years ago! anyhoo, i think its great that NY is leading the way here, a nation-leading standard for kids online safety is def needed. integrating teen mental health first aid into the curriculum is a game changer too, lets get those 10th graders equipped to handle the drama 🤸‍♀️💪
 
omg u guys!!! 🤯 i cant even imagine how hard its gotta be for gov kathy hochul to tackle this issue 😩 like, social media is literally everywhere nowadays and kids are just so vulnerable 🙅‍♀️. i think its amazing that nyc has already designated excessive social media use as a public health hazard 🚨, now lets see if the rest of the country follows suit 🤞.

i love how gov hochul is proposing age verification processes for online platforms and restrictions on ai chatbot features for minors 📊💻. like, parents should def be able to monitor their kids' online activity more closely 👀. and i cant even begin to think about how toxic social media features are 😷... lets just say i'm good with disabling those features altogether 💯.

idk about tiktok and meta not responding to the proposals yet 🤔, but gov hochul is clearly on top of this issue 🔥. a "nation-leading standard" in safeguarding children's online safety and well-being? 🙌 yeah, lets get behind her on that 🎉.
 
🤯 I think its about time we take social media seriously, especially when it comes to our kids 📸💻. I mean, come on, AI chatbots and toxic features are just designed to keep us hooked, right? 😱 As a parent myself, the idea of not knowing what my little ones are doing online is terrifying 😨. We need some real action taken here, like stronger age verification and more transparent platform settings 📝. I'm all for making social media use a public health issue, that's just common sense 💡. And yeah, I love the idea of teen mental health first aid training being part of school curricula - we can't leave it up to parents alone 😊. Let's hope Governor Hochul's proposals become law and set a new standard for online safety 🙏.
 
You know what's crazy, I was just browsing through an old photo album of my grandma and I found this super retro video game console thingy that she used to play when we were kids... 🤯 It had like, this weird button that did this really cool animation effect. I wonder if they still make those things today? Maybe I'll have to dig deeper into retro gaming forums to see what's up with old-school consoles 😊 Anyway, back to social media regulation - isn't it wild how these platforms are always adapting and changing the rules on us? Like, just yesterday I was reading about some new algorithm update that made my TikTok recommendations all skewed... 🤷‍♀️
 
OMG, I think this is a major overreach 😒💁‍♀️. Like, what's next? Government controlling our entire lives? 🤯 The 10th graders mental health first aid training thing seems like an easy way to push some kind of social agenda, you know? 🤷‍♂️ And what about parents' rights? Are they just gonna be ignored? 😒 I don't think it's the government's job to police our kids' online activities all the time...
 
ugh, i remember when we used to use dial-up internet 📚💻 back in the day... kids these days can't even imagine a life without social media 😂. i feel like governor hochul is trying to protect us from ourselves, you know? 🤯 it's crazy how much of an impact social media has on our mental health and well-being 🌧️. i'm all for it though, the more we can do to safeguard kids online, the better 👍. but can we please just slow down with all these new tech advancements? my brain is still trying to process everything from 5 years ago 😂.
 
I don’t usually comment but I think its super cool that NY is taking the lead on this 🤩. I mean, social media can be both amazing and toxic at the same time, right? As a parent, I want to make sure my kid's online experience is safe and healthy, you know? The idea of AI chatbots being restricted for minors makes total sense – those things can be super manipulative 🤖. And disabling location tracking on platforms for kids sounds like a no-brainer to me. Its about time we take this seriously, especially with the Surgeon General warning us about the dangers of excessive social media use 😬. I wish other states would follow NY's lead on this one 👍
 
I think it's super lame that she's trying to ban AI chatbots on social media sites for kids - like what's wrong with them having a little fun online? 🤖 It's not like they're going to get exploited or anything... I mean, parents are already overprotecting their kids anyway. They just need to chill out and let them live their lives. And another thing, isn't age verification for online platforms just a pain in the butt for teenagers who are trying to be all grown up on social media? 🤦‍♀️
 
I'm really worried about how our kids are being affected by social media 🤕. I mean, we're talking about anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders on the rise... it's like, what can we do to stop this? 🤔 The fact that NY is making social media use a public health hazard is a major step in the right direction 💪. And I love that they're proposing AI chatbot restrictions for minors - that stuff is basically designed to manipulate kids into doing stuff they shouldn't be doing 😱.

But here's the thing... we need to go further than just regulating the platforms themselves. We need to think about how our education system can be better equipped to deal with this issue, like with mental health first aid training in schools. And what about the fact that some of these platforms are already designed with kids' safety in mind? Like, why not make those features default for everyone? 🤷‍♀️ It's time we take a closer look at how social media is being used to exploit our youth and do something about it 💯.
 
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