Disruption

Q&A: N.Y. Sen. Andrew Gounardes, sponsor of social media, data privacy bills

The Democrat discussed his efforts to protect kids online.
New York Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D) during a Judiciary Committee hearing April 17, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

New York Democrats are trying a new strategy in the fight to protect teenagers online with legislation they hope can both be passed by the legislature and survive court challenges.

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and Attorney General Letitia James (D) are backing a pair of bills from Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D) and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D) aimed at protecting teens from algorithmically curated social media feeds and from having their personal data collected and monetized. Hochul called social media “a silent killer” during her State of the State address this month and urged lawmakers to pass the bills.

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