New York Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled a comprehensive legislative package aimed at safeguarding the online well-being of New York's children, tackling everything from manipulative AI chatbots to social media manipulation.
The 2026 State of the State agenda proposes sweeping changes to protect minors from the perils of online predators, anxiety-inducing social media platforms, and disrupted sleep patterns. Building on previous measures such as banning smartphones in classrooms and requiring warning labels on popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok, Hochul's plan would strengthen age verification processes for online users.
Parents would be granted greater control over their underage children's digital transactions, while social media sites would need to tighten up their AI-powered chatbot features for minors. This includes disabling these features altogether for young users and setting the highest possible privacy settings by default – including strict controls on location tracking and contact permissions.
The legislation also aims to promote teen mental health by making first aid training available to all 10th graders statewide, with accompanying adult training programs for those working with youth in schools and community settings. This initiative comes as the U.S. Surgeon General has linked minors' social media use to a host of serious mental health issues.
New York City has previously deemed social media usage among young people a public health hazard, underscoring the urgent need for robust regulatory measures like Hochul's proposals. While TikTok and Meta – which owns both Instagram and Facebook – have yet to comment on the new legislation, Governor Hochul remains confident that her plans will "ensure our kids' safety in online and real-world environments where they spend time".
The 2026 State of the State agenda proposes sweeping changes to protect minors from the perils of online predators, anxiety-inducing social media platforms, and disrupted sleep patterns. Building on previous measures such as banning smartphones in classrooms and requiring warning labels on popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok, Hochul's plan would strengthen age verification processes for online users.
Parents would be granted greater control over their underage children's digital transactions, while social media sites would need to tighten up their AI-powered chatbot features for minors. This includes disabling these features altogether for young users and setting the highest possible privacy settings by default – including strict controls on location tracking and contact permissions.
The legislation also aims to promote teen mental health by making first aid training available to all 10th graders statewide, with accompanying adult training programs for those working with youth in schools and community settings. This initiative comes as the U.S. Surgeon General has linked minors' social media use to a host of serious mental health issues.
New York City has previously deemed social media usage among young people a public health hazard, underscoring the urgent need for robust regulatory measures like Hochul's proposals. While TikTok and Meta – which owns both Instagram and Facebook – have yet to comment on the new legislation, Governor Hochul remains confident that her plans will "ensure our kids' safety in online and real-world environments where they spend time".
this is a good start imo, i mean banning smartphones in classrooms was already a step in the right direction. but now they're tackling those manipulative ai chatbots and social media manipulation 
it's like, our kids are literally growing up with these platforms and we can't just sit back and let them get messed up. i hope they make sure the age verification process is super strict tho 
cant have our little ones sneaking around online without proper supervision. also, first aid training for teens? that's amazing 
gotta give Hochul props for trying to address this mental health crisis head-on 
I'm low-key glad that someone's finally taking action about how these social media platforms are affecting kids 
. And don't even get me started on how sleep-deprived they're gonna be with all these notifications and whatnot 
. At least this new legislation is trying to take control of things, like making AI-powered chatbots safer for minors 
. It's a step in the right direction, but we need more awareness about mental health and digital wellness as a whole 
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with these changes, hope they can navigate it all without too much drama 
. dont know about the other states tho, are they gonna follow NY's lead on this one? 
also wonder what the long game looks like here... will these measures even make a difference in keeping kids safe from online predators and anxiety-inducing stuff? 
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. and can we talk about how some of these social media sites are basically just selling us data? 
anyway, kudos to Hochul for taking this on 
. And what about parents who want their kids to use phones as a tool for learning? It could be seen as taking away too much freedom and responsibility from our young people 
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. Those AI chatbots can be really creepy, especially for kids 
. And it's concerning that some platforms are still not doing enough to safeguard user data 
. It's crazy how much of an impact social media can have on teens, especially when it comes to mental health 
. Bring on the change! 
Moreover, isn't there a fine line between "protecting" our kids and stifling their freedom to explore and learn online?
also glad they're making first aid training available for teens - that's super important 
. It's about time we acknowledge the impact of social media on our young minds 
. I've seen friends' kids get so anxious after seeing those manipulated posts or comments online... it's like, they're not even in control of what they see! 
. This is all about giving parents more control over what their kids are exposed to online and keeping them safe from those online predators 
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Can't wait to see this legislation become law 
. As we're seeing more & more kids spending most of their day online, its getting harder for them to distinguish reality from the digital world 
I totally get why this is a big deal! As a parent myself, I can imagine how scary it must be to see your little ones being manipulated by AI chatbots or getting anxious from all the social media drama. 
But at the same time, I think we need to be careful not to overregulate, you know? Like, we don't want to stifle their creativity and free expression just because there's a risk of some bad stuff out there. 
Like, finally, someone's taking online safety for kids seriously. I mean, think about it - we're basically raising tiny humans who are growing up with AI chatbots that can be super manipulative and anxiety-inducing. It's wild to think about how much of an impact these platforms could have on their little minds!