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STATEWIDE — STATE SENATOR ANREW GOUNARDES (D-26) praised Gov. Kathy Hochul in a press release for backing major provisions of the Stop Online Predators Act in her 2026 State Budget, calling it a significant step toward curbing child exploitation on social media and gaming platforms.

The legislation would require platforms to use age assurance, disable open chat for minors by default, set children’s profiles to private and mandate parental approval for contacts and financial transactions. Enforcement would fall to the state attorney general, with penalties of up to $5,000 per violation. 

Support comes amid reports of widespread abuse, including more than 13,000 child exploitation cases flagged on Roblox in 2023 alone.

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