BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON – The passage of two nation-leading bills on Friday to protect kids online was applauded by a Canton advocate who has worked tirelessly to create such legislation on both the state and national levels.

The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act will restrict a child’s access to addictive feeds on social media, and the New York Child Data Protection Act will keep children’s personal data safe.

“It is great news and I'm proud that our NYS legislators realize the importance of putting some guardrails on big social,” said Mary C. Rodee. “Finally some acknowledgement from elected reps that social media platforms are purposefully putting profits over people.”

She lost her 15-year-old son Riley K. Basford, a sophomore at Potsdam Central School, in 2021 to suicide after the teenager was targeted online.

“The evidence is clear and Common Sense Media led the movement in Albany to get this done. Big Tech is throwing more money than ever into lobbying efforts in Albany and I am grateful that we were able to overpower this,” Rodee added. “Currently constant notifications and algorithmic feeds are linked in study after study to the sharp decline in mental health.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul was pleased with the new legislation.

“New York is leading the nation to protect our kids from addictive social media feeds and shield their personal data from predatory companies,” Governor Hochul said. “Together, we’ve taken a historic step forward in our efforts to address the youth mental health crisis and create a safer digital environment for young people. I am grateful to Attorney General James, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie, and bill sponsors Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Rozic for their vital partnership in advancing this transformative legislation.”

The SAFE for Kids Act will require social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18. Unless parental consent is granted, users under 18 will not receive addictive feeds. Users may still search for specific topics of interest. It will also prohibit social media platforms from sending notifications regarding addictive feeds to minors from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. without parental consent. The legislation will authorize the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to bring an action to enjoin violations of the new law as well as seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, among other remedies. And finally, it calls for the establishment of acceptable age verification and parent consent methods, to be determined by the OAG as part of a rulemaking process once the legislation is enacted, according to the nysenate.gov website.

The New York Child Data Protection Act will prohibit online sites from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless they receive informed consent or unless doing so is strictly necessary for the purpose of the website. It also authorizes the OAG to enforce the law and enjoin and seek damages or civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.