Common Sense Media Applauds Governor Hochul’s Inclusion of Children’s Online Safety and Privacy Protections in Her 2026 Budget Proposal

NEW YORK, January 5, 2026—Common Sense Media applauded New York Governor Kathy Hochul's announcement today that her proposed state budget will include important new safety and privacy protections for children on social media and gaming platforms. In response, Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer issued the following statement:

"Common Sense Media applauds Governor Hochul's inclusion of these important new children's online safety protections in her State of the State proposal and we thank Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Rozic for their leadership on this issue. The online games kids play and the social media platforms they use for hours and hours a day have become veritable hunting grounds for predators. Kids and teens need these new protections now more than ever.

"Before a new toy hits the market, it needs to be certified that it is safe for children. Car seats have to undergo rigorous safety testing to ensure they protect kids in the event of an accident. Even kids' pajamas must meet strict flammability standards. We require safeguards on almost every product intended for kids, and social media and video games should be no different.

"Implementing these new online protections will send yet another powerful message that the Empire State has zero tolerance for tech companies that fail to prioritize our kids' safety and well-being."

The governor's proposal would add several new protections for kids on social media and online gaming platforms, including to:

• Expand requirements for age verification so that the online platforms know how old their users are
• Require children's profiles be set to the highest privacy settings on the platform, so strangers can't view their full profile, location, tag them, or send them messages without a friend request
• Allow adult users to contact children only if their friend request has been accepted and require parental approval for users under 13
• Require parental controls that allow parents to set limits on kids' financial transactions
• Require social media platforms to turn off AI chatbot functions by default for kids unless a parent switches them back on

About Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users worldwide, over 1.4 million educators, and more than 100,000 schools worldwide every year. Learn more at commonsense.org.