In yet another unsettling spree of privacy invasion, New York is putting forth a series of questionable state bills, ostensibly framed as safeguarding young digital citizens, but one that would require platforms to verify the ID of users and open up a whole host of privacy and free speech issues.
Spearheaded by New York State Senator Andrew Goundardes and Assembly Member Nily Rozic, these initiatives are openly encouraged by NY Governor Kathy Hochul.
The debatable legislation in question includes the New York Child Data Protection Act and the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act. These bills draw heavy inspiration from similar legislation previously deemed unconstitutional in states such as California and Arkansas.
The SAFE Act strikingly resembles a similar bill in Utah, untouched as of yet by constitutional challenges but expectedly next in the lineup. It not only mirrors the Utah law but incorporates aspects of California’s Age Appropriate Design Code – already deemed unconstitutional by a Federal Judge. Such loose utilization of constitutional breaches openly exhibits the reckless grandstanding of their propagators.
