Governor Hochul is stepping up to protect New York kids from online predators, AI risks, and mental health crises, and more.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is continuing to try to keep kids safe, online and in real life.
New York Battles The Youth Mental Health Crisis Statewide
Governor Hochul
Governor Hochul
In her first State of the State proposals for 2026, Hochul announced legislation aimed at protecting children from online predators, scammers, and harmful AI chatbots.
All while expanding Teen Mental Health First Aid training statewide in hopes of giving young people the tools to spot and respond to mental health and substance use challenges among their peers.
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“As New York’s first mom Governor, the safety and well-being of our children has always been a top priority,” Hochul stated. “These proposals create a nation-leading standard to ensure kids are safe online and have the resources they need to support themselves and each other.”
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Getty ImagesNew Protections for Kids on Online Platforms
Hochul’s updated online safety plan would require stricter age verification on social media and gaming platforms, set kids’ accounts to the highest privacy settings by default, disable certain AI chatbot features for minors, and give parents control over children’s financial transactions on these platforms.
“Numerous lawsuits and investigations have alleged that online platforms have not taken appropriate steps to protect the children using them. These online platforms allow children and adults to contact each other worldwide, which leaves children susceptible to grooming, child abuse, and exposure to violent and inappropriate content, including suicide,” Hochul stated.
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Governor Hochul
Governor Hochul
On the mental health front, Hochul wants every 10th grader in New York to have access to Teen Mental Health First Aid training.
The initiative aims to reach more than 180,000 students annually, teaching teens how to recognize warning signs, have meaningful conversations with friends, and connect with peers to help before crises escalate. Adults who work with youth will also get training, learning a five-step plan to help teens in both crisis and non-crisis situations.
This is part of Hochul’s ongoing effort to tackle the youth mental health crisis and modern threats in the digital world, building on previous laws banning smartphones in schools, requiring social media warning labels, and limiting addictive feeds.
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