Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul

In response to today's jury decision that found Meta and Youtube liable for creating products that led to harmful and addictive behavior by minors, Governor Hochul released the following statement:

“This landmark verdict is a victory for kids and parents across the nation. I've heard firsthand from our young people about the harms posed by addictive social media algorithms –- and that's why New York led the nation in 2024 by enacting the SAFE for Kids Act, the nation's strongest law restricting these deeply addictive algorithms for minors statewide.

“We've continued New York's nation-leading commitment to our kids by getting phones out of our schools statewide and passing first-in-the nation safeguards for "AI companions." And earlier this year I announced new plans go even further, with proposals to protect kids from predators, scammers and harmful AI chatbots on online platforms. As the digital age gets more complex day by day, I'll never stop fighting to protect our kids.”