Minors in New York would need a parent’s permission to use the open chat function on gaming and social media platforms under legislation announced Thursday that aims to protect youth from sexual exploitation.
Sen. Andrew Gounardes’s (D) proposal seeks to build on the first-in-the-nation law he introduced this year that requires parental approval for teenagers to have algorithmically curated social media feeds that include addictive features.
In a statement, Gounardes pointed to reports of child predators targeting kids who use popular gaming sites such as Roblox. He also said pedophiles have flocked to social media sites to target and groom kids.
“Social media and online gaming platforms have become hotbeds of child abuse and exploitation, and it’s past time we update our laws to address this new threat,” Gounardes said.
Along with requiring parental approval for youth to access open chat functions on platforms, the New York Children’s Online Safety Act would require teen accounts to be set to private by default; block adults from messaging kids or sending them digital currency, unless they were friends on the platform; and require a parent’s approval for anyone under 13 to accept someone as a friend, as well as for financial transactions related to the online game or service the child was using.
The law, if enacted, would be enforced by the New York attorney general with fines of $5,000 per violation.
Gounardes said platforms such as Roblox and Instagram have recently adopted new default protections for younger users, but said he is seeking consistency across the industry and stricter age verification requirements. The proposed law would require social media companies to use “commercially reasonable age verification” methods to identify minors on their platforms.
The tech industry and civil liberties groups have pushed back on age verification requirements as privacy-invasive and unconstitutional.
Roblox in a statement did not directly address the legislation, but said it operates an all ages gaming platform that prioritizes “safety and civility.” The statement highlighted recent steps the company has taken to better protect users under age 13 and said the company will work with New York lawmakers “to improve online safety for children.”
Gounardes’s announcement included praise from Julie Scelfo, founder of the nonprofit advocacy group Mothers Against Media Addiction.
“Requiring open chat functions to be turned off by default takes the onus off of parents and puts it where it should be — on tech product designers,” Scelfo said in a statement.