New York

National Leader

New York has earned its National Leader title for taking bold steps on distraction-free schools and policies that protect kids online and restrict harmful design. The state's leaders display real courage, showing the rest of the country what is possible. New York's progress is making a difference, and their continued leadership will help kids and families across the country.

New York at a glance

Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James are leading the nation in efforts to protect kids online and restore childhood, championing policies like the SAFE for Kids Act and mental health warning labels for social media platforms.
New York is a lead state in the Meta and TikTok lawsuits and has signed multiple bipartisan AG letters calling for action on kids’ online safety.
New York mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools, ensuring their students can learn and connect with each other without distractions.
New York requires age verification and restricts addictive algorithmic feeds for minors through the SAFE for Kids Act (not yet in effect), but the state has not established a social media age minimum.
New York does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law.

Areas of Opportunity

Passing a reasonable childhood independence law will protect New York's families from unfair charges of neglect.
Establishing a social media age minimum of 16 will solve the collective action problem for New York families.
Strengthening the SAFE for Kids Act to address AI safety will keep New York ahead of emerging threats to children online.
Creating legal pathways for parents to sue tech companies for harms to minors will hold them accountable and incentivize safer product design.

These opportunities are within reach for your home state. Download our policy menu, reach out to us, and reclaim childhood in New York.

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Dive Deeper

Childhood Development Policies

Is the state helping to solve the collective action problems families face by adopting policies that support a healthier real-world childhood?

Distraction-Free Schools
New York mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools, though it does not require inaccessible storage. Notably, the law protects students by prohibiting suspensions for device policy violations. View the state’s Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Childhood Independence
New York does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law, leaving too much discretion to the authorities and putting parents at risk of unfair neglect charges.

Political Leadership

Is the governor championing kids' safety, and is the Office of the Attorney General using its power to hold big tech accountable?

Governor Leadership
Governor Kathy Hochul has emerged as one of the nation’s strongest voices in the effort to reclaim childhood and protect kids online. She championed and signed the SAFE for Kids Act, declaring that the state will no longer allow children to be “held hostage” by algorithms. She also enacted one of the nation’s first statewide bell-to-bell phone bans, placing New York at the forefront of this movement. Her leadership has set a powerful example for states across the country.
Attorney General Leadership
Attorney General Letitia James has been a national force in holding tech companies accountable. She championed the SAFE for Kids Act, and New York serves as a lead state in the multistate lawsuits against Meta, and TikTok, placing it at the center of the country’s most significant tech accountability efforts. New York also led the AI Local Authority Letter and signed the AI Child Safety Letter, AI Chatbot Safety Letter, xAI Grok Letter, and Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Letter.

Tech Policies

What is the state doing to address harmful tech and hold companies accountable?

Social Media Age Limits
Still in the rulemaking phase, the SAFE for Kids Act will require platforms to verify the user's age and will prohibit addictive algorithmic feeds and overnight notifications for minors.
Regulating Harmful Design
The SAFE for Kids Act bars social media platforms from serving algorithm-driven feeds to minors or sending notifications between midnight and 6 a.m. without parental consent.
New York also requires social media platforms that use addictive features to display mental health warning labels when users open the app and at intervals during use.
Tech Accountability
New York has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
New York has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.

Family Perceptions

What do parents in the state say about their children's tech use, opportunities for independence, and real-life interactions?

IFS Resilient Childhood Score
High. New York parents report that their kids experience:
- High levels of independent, unsupervised activity
- Ample time spent playing outside and socializing with friends
- Relatively low screen time and tech use

This page was last updated on March 4, 2026. The Childhood Index highlights key policies and actions and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If there’s something you think we missed or should consider, we welcome your feedback.