January 06, 2026- Hamburg, NY- Governor Hochul Unveils First Proposal of 2026 State of the State (Darren McGee/ Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
New York Governor Advances Child Online Safety Package
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
Gov. Kathy Hochul hosted a roundtable with parents on Saturday to promote a legislative proposal aimed at strengthening protections for children and teenagers online, part of a broader push to address youth mental health and limit exposure to harmful digital content.
The proposal would expand age verification requirements on social media and online gaming platforms, require the highest privacy settings by default for minors, disable certain AI chatbot features for children and give parents more oversight of financial transactions. Hochul said the measures are designed to protect kids from predators, scams and harmful AI interactions while shifting responsibility from families to tech companies.
“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.”
The roundtable, held with parents affiliated with Common Sense Media, comes as Hochul prepares to unveil her 2026 State of the State agenda. The governor has made youth online safety a centerpiece of her platform, citing concerns about mental health, exploitation and addictive platform design.
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.”
Hochul’s legislative package builds on prior laws enacted in New York that restrict certain social media features for minors and establish limits on data collection. Her earlier initiatives include the SAFE for Kids Act, which targets addictive social media features, and the Child Data Protection Act, which bars companies from collecting or selling children’s personal data without consent. Additional measures created safeguards for AI companion tools and required warning labels about social media’s potential mental health impacts.
Lawmakers who attended the event said the proposal continues a growing effort to regulate technology companies’ interactions with young users.
January 06, 2026- Hamburg, NY- Governor Hochul Unveils First Proposal of 2026 State of the State (Darren McGee/ Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
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.”
Speaking at her former high school in Hamburg, Hochul framed the issue as part of a larger effort to restore in-person social development and reduce the pressures children face online.
Governor Hochul: “I want young people to be kids again. Life is hard enough later on down the road. Let’s let you embrace the freedom, the joy of, and the wonder of learning and understanding relationships and the power of the teacher to have an effect on you. Open your hearts and minds to that — not to these dark forces, which have been way too available and are seeking out our children and parents don’t even know.”
Hochul: “I’m proud that New York State is leading the way to protect our students once again online in 2026. And I’ll never stop fighting for a future where every child knows they have the freedom to play and smile and to thrive and just be themselves. That is my promise to every New York family.”
The governor also announced a proposed statewide expansion of Teen Mental Health First Aid training, which teaches students how to identify signs of distress among peers and connect them to support. The plan would scale up an existing pilot program that has already certified thousands of teens and adults.
Hochul said the new measures are intended to complement New York’s distraction-free school policies, social media warning label requirements and increased investments in school-based mental health services, which together form what she described as a nation-leading framework to protect children online and offline.
