Two new bills were introduced in the state Legislature that will focus on protecting children from the dangers of social media websites.  

Gov. Kathy Hochul says children across the state are in crisis, adding that she spoke with students who say they feel depressed going online.  

“The Safe for Kids Act will prohibit minors from being exposed to dangerous feeds that torment our kids,” said Hochul. “The Children’s Data Privacy Act… will give parents tools to keep their kids safe and limit social media outreach. This will loosen this algorithm on the way our kids think and act.” 

Hochul says that minors will now need parental consent in order to get social media notifications overnight.  

Attorney General Letitia James says children are spending five hours a day online, and teenagers are spending approximately eight hours a day online.  

Elected officials say that social media companies use tactics to keep kids online for longer and that they hope this pair of bills will restrict access to these apps and protect children from the dangers of social media.