S.T.O.P. Condemns Hochul’s Signing Of Internet Age Surveillance Law

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For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns Hochul’s Signing Of Internet Age Surveillance Law (New York, NY 6/20/24) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemns Governor Kathy Hochul’s signing of the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act into law, which imposes social media age surveillance in New York State. The civil rights group warned that the well-intentioned measure is invasive and ultimately unsafe for kids, forcing many internet companies to collect even more information about users and implement discriminatory technology like facial recognition. SEE: CBS News – New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign bill targeting social media platforms' algorithm toward teens: "Our kids are in distress" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/safe-act-kathy-hochul-new-york-social-media-algorithm-teens/ ABC NEWS10 - Hochul signs social media legislation https://www.news10.com/news/albany-county/hochul-signs-social-media-legislation/ "This measure may be well-intentioned, but it should be renamed the Unsafe For Kids Act,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Communications Director Will Owen. “Age verification is especially discriminatory towards LGBTQ+ youth, hindering their ability to find community online and blocking access to vital LGBTQ+ resources. It also doesn't work. It can be easy for children to bypass, all while making the internet less accessible to immigrant communities, seniors, and low-income New Yorkers. There is no software that can prove New Yorkers’ ages on the internet without undermining their privacy rights. It’s a shame to see the Governor pass this law without considering all its unintended consequences.” SEE: The Albany Times Union - Only one of New York's just-passed online safety bills will keep kids safe https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/one-n-y-s-just-passed-social-media-bills-keep-19511030.php In April, S.T.O.P. released Age Of Surveillance: Conservative Age Surveillance Of LGBTQ+ Youth, a research report detailing the harms of internet age-verification laws on LGBTQ+ children and teens. Last fall, the civil rights group also released The Kids Won’t Be Alright: The Looming Threat of Child Surveillance Laws, a research report detailing how online age and identity verification laws threaten internet access for adults and put many teens in harm’s way.  SEE: Press Release - S.T.O.P. Report Shows Internet Age Surveillance Censors LGBTQ+ Youth https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2024/4/3/stop-report-shows-internet-age-surveillance-censors-lgbtq-youth Press Release - S.T.O.P. Report Shows Online ID Verification Laws Threaten Kids, Internet Security https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2023/9/28/stop-report-shows-online-id-verification-laws-threaten-kids-internet-security The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. --END-- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved.