A ferocious lobbying battle is raging in New York as major tech giants like Google and Meta spearhead an aggressive push to kill child online safety legislation. The controversial efforts have already seen over $823,000 spent lobbying state lawmakers through mid-March as two prominent bills advance toward potential votes.
The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act are the focus of this intense lobbying blitz by Big Tech firms, advocacy groups, and companies across sectors. An anonymous Albany insider described the staggering lobbying spend as “astonishing” for just “two reasonable bills.”
The SAFE Act aims to crack down on addictive social media algorithms by requiring platforms to provide chronological default feeds for users under 18 unless parents consent. It would also allow parents to set time limits and restrict in-app notifications.
While disclosure forms show overall lobbying spending, they don’t reveal firms’ stances on specific bills. However, sources indicate the true scope of Big Tech’s anti-legislation efforts will likely surpass $1 million once the next lobbying filings emerge next month.
“This could be considered ‘historic’ in the sense that the bills are relatively low impact for the state compared with other issues that get a lot of lobbyist attention,” said Danny Weiss of Common Sense Media, which backs the bills.
The cannabis and landlord industries previously spent millions lobbying on legalization and tenant protections respectively. “They are spending a lot of money to oppose these bills, as if they pose an existential threat to New York,” Weiss stated about Big Tech’s blitz.
Both online safety bills were endorsed last fall by Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James. Hochul described social media as “a silent killer of our children’s generation” in January.
The bills are expected to soon move through committee in the state assembly, followed by floor votes, with the state senate also anticipating voting on them soon. Over 25 groups, including teachers unions, have voiced support.
Tech giants have pushed back, citing fears the legislation could stifle free speech, online privacy for teens, limit internet access, and disable algorithms that help moderate hate speech.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, a co-sponsor, accused opponents of an aggressive “whisper campaign” using “armies of lobbyists” to try delaying or defeating the bills.
Meta, facing a lawsuit over claims it profited while fueling a teen mental health crisis, was the top lobbying spender related to the tech bills. A Meta spokesperson backed federal parental consent rules over a state-by-state approach.
Other major spenders included Google and TikTok. Despite the opposition, the legislation appears to have significant bipartisan support and be making progress.
Gounardes said he feels “reasonably confident” something significant will be done for kids on social media this session.
Critics have also highlighted the involvement of “astroturf” groups allegedly funded by tech money to present a grassroots facade while pushing the industry’s agenda.