As New York lawmakers sent the SAFE Act and a kids’ data privacy bill to Governor Kathy Hochul for her signature, The Tech Oversight Project Executive Director Sacha Haworth issued the following statement:
“New York’s new law will be a significant win for protecting kids online, building on the momentum we’ve seen this year in states like Maryland and Vermont. This growing movement sends a clear message to Big Tech: safeguarding our children in digital spaces is essential, and the time for action is now. We encourage other lawmakers to recognize this urgency and act quickly, and applaud leaders like those in Albany who are working hard to build a world where kids can be safe and their data can be private online.”
Background
The Big Tech lobby poured a reported $1 million into lobbying against proposed regulation in Albany this year, amplifying a pattern of big industry spending to fight state kids’ online safety bills across the nation. But even in the face of record Big Tech lobbying, states this year have begun to break through the obstructionism, buoyed by broad public support for action.
In 2024, legislatures in Maryland and Vermont both passed their Kids Code bills unanimously. Governor Wes Moore signed the Maryland Kids Code into law on May 9 and Vermont’s legislature sent its own Kids Code bill to Governor Phil Scott for signature earlier today.