Gov. Kathy Hochul Advocates for Mental Health Resources and Online Safety Legislation

Governor Hochul Pushes for Legislation to Address Online Safety and Social Media Impact on Youth

In a meeting with advocates from the Mental Health Association in New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul emphasized the importance of enacting “nation-leading” legislation to address online safety and the harmful impacts of social media on young people. The governor’s priority legislation includes the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act and the Child Data Protection Act.

The SAFE for Kids Act would require parental or guardian consent for children under 18 to access algorithms that tailor social media feeds, while the Child Data Protection Act aims to limit companies’ ability to collect personal data from children. Governor Hochul stressed the need for these measures to combat the intentional strategies used to draw young people into addictive social media use.

Glenn Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State, praised the governor’s commitment to addressing mental health challenges, including excessive social media use among youth. Assembly bill sponsor Nily Rozic highlighted the ongoing efforts to ensure the legislation has the necessary support for passage.

While opposition from tech groups has raised concerns about privacy and age-appropriate content, Republican State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick expressed her support for the reform efforts. As a mother of four, she understands the challenges of social media use and believes in the importance of improving the mental health of young people.

With the legislative session coming to a close, Governor Hochul and advocates are hopeful that the proposed bills will be passed to protect the well-being of New York’s youth in the digital age.