Common Sense Media Applauds New Kids’ Online Safety Victory in New York

NEW YORK, May 27, 2026—Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer issued the following statement on the Safe by Design Act (previously the Stop Online Predators Act) in New York's fiscal year 2027 budget agreement:

"Common Sense Media applauds Governor Hochul and the New York Legislature for their strong leadership to protect children from one of the most urgent threats they face online. We are very proud to partner with Governor Hochul and the leading legislators on this important effort.

"The online games our children play and the social media platforms they use for hours a day have become hunting grounds for predators. For far too long, online gaming and social media companies have turned a blind eye to strangers exploiting kids on their platforms, allowing them to identify vulnerable users and keep them engaged at all costs, even at the expense of kids' well-being. For kids in New York, that is about to change.

"The Safe by Design Act, thanks to Gov. Hochul, Senator Gounardes, and Assemblymember Rozic, implements new privacy and age verification requirements to protect children online from adult predators, making New York the first state to adopt this approach. It will also prevent selected platforms from including AI ‘companions' by default. That's good, but make no mistake: there is more that the legislature and the governor need to do now to protect New York kids from increasingly popular but unsafe AI products. They should also pass and sign into law the bill by Senator Gonzalez and Assemblymember Bores that is pending in Albany right now and that parents across New York are calling for. There is time to pass it before lawmakers go home.

"The Empire State continues to lead the way on protecting kids online, and we hope the rest of the nation will follow this common-sense approach. We look forward to additional online protections for kids being adopted by the New York legislature before this year's session ends."

About Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the research-backed information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the age of apps, algorithms, and AI. We rate, educate, and advocate to protect and prepare kids online. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users globally, over 1.5 million educators, and more than 100,000 schools worldwide every year. Learn more at commonsense.org.