Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James

Following the news on Sep 17th, that Instagram will introduce new safety features for minors on its platform, Governor Hochul and Attorney General James jointly released the following statement:

“Our kids are facing a mental health crisis fueled by addictive social media feeds – and the changes announced on Sep 17th, by Instagram are proof that New York’s nation-leading laws are already making a powerful impact to protect kids online.

“In June, we enacted the SAFE for Kids Act – our first-in-the-nation law to restrict addictive feeds and stop late-night notifications for minors in New York. Just three months later, Instagram said it will shut down late-night notifications for all minors nationwide, along with creating more supervision tools for parents. By taking strong and decisive action, New York has helped ensure that millions of kids across the nation will have greater protections.

“Let’s be clear – our fight to safeguard kids online is far from over, and Instagram’s announcement is just one step in the right direction. The SAFE for Kids Act will also combat addictive algorithms and our Child Data Protection Act will restrict online sites from collecting and selling our kids' data. Every social media platform – including Instagram – will need to play by these rules in New York, just as they should across the nation. We'll never stop fighting to protect our kids – and we look forward to continuing this vital work.”