Sen. Gounardes: Supreme Court’s Netchoice Opinion Is a Win for Kids and Parents Counting on New York’s Internet Safety Laws

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 9, 2024

New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes released the following statement today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the case Moody v. Netchoice:

“The Supreme Court’s decision in the Netchoice case is a crucial, unexpected win for kids, families, teachers and all of us who worry about the safety and mental health of young people using social media.

“The research is clear: there’s a disturbing link between prolonged social media use and youth depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. New York State enacted my Stop Addictive Feeds (SAFE) for Kids Act and New York Child Data Protection Act to regulate two of social media's most harmful tools against young people: addictive algorithms and predatory data collection.

“In their decision, the Justices offer space for lawmakers to innovate and pass consumer protection laws, as long as they aren’t designed to exclude specific viewpoints. New York’s laws don’t regulate viewpoint or speech at all; they merely prohibit social media platforms from using algorithms to tailor content to specific users, sending them down a rabbit hole of addiction, doomscrolling and potentially harmful content.

“The Justices offer nuanced differentiation between different types of algorithms and content standards. In doing so, they make clear that laws governing social media with a legitimate government interest fall within the bounds of the First Amendment, and that big tech companies’ cynical attempt to exploit free speech protections to shield themselves from regulation will not work.

“Despite what tech companies claim, keeping kids online with content they didn't sign up for has nothing to do with free speech or an open internet: it's a cash grab, and our children are paying the price. This ruling is a signal that we don’t have to accept the unchecked power of massive social media firms, and we can take action to protect our children.”

Press Contact:

Billy Richling

Communications Director

State Senator Andrew Gounardes

billy@senatorgounardes.nyc

###