Briefs

New bill would require privacy protocol to protect children using social media and gaming

November 21, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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ALBANY — A NEW BILL IN STATE SENATE WOULD PROTECT CHILDREN from rampant sexual abuse and solicitation on gaming and social media platforms. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-26), who represents much of western Brooklyn, on Thursday, Nov. 21 introduced the New York Children’s Online Safety Act (S.9953). The bill, which has been assigned to the State Senate’s Rules Committee, requires online gaming and social media platforms to turn off open chat functions by default for users under 18, unless a parent reverses that action. The law would also require parents to approve financial transactions connected to a child’s account; and, for users under 13, would allow parents to view the account’s list of approved friends. Children’s profiles would be set to private by default, so strangers would only be able to message a child after a friend request requiring parental approval is accepted. Violations would be enforced by the Office of the New York State Attorney General, which can investigate misconduct allegations through its Bureau of Internet and Technology. The attorney general would be empowered to pursue damages of $5,000 per violation.

The legislation comes in response to multiple disturbing investigations that found rampant pedophilia and child abuse on Roblox, a site where more than 40% of users are preteens. Last year Roblox reported over 13,000 instances of child exploitation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and responded to 1,300 requests for information from law enforcement.

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