Meta, Google leading nearly $1M lobbying fight to kill NY online child safety bills

Published

1 year ago

May 20, 2024

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Google and Meta are spearheading a fierce push to kill New York legislation aimed at protecting children online and the controversial lobbying battle is poised to surpass $1 million in spending, The Post has learned.

A group of Big Tech firms, advocacy groups and companies from other sectors have spent $823,235 lobbying Albany lawmakers through mid-March as two high-profile bills the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act advance toward votes, according to recent public disclosures.

This is an astonishing amount of money to be spent to kill two reasonable bills, said one longtime Albany insider who requested anonymity to discuss the lobbying push.

The SAFE Act would crack down on addictive recommendation algorithms used by social media apps by requiring them to provide default chronological feeds for users 18 or younger unless they receive parental consent. It would also allow parents to impose time limits on social media use and in-app notifications.

The Child Data Protection Act would block apps from collecting or selling the personal or location data from users under 18 unless they consent. Kids under 13 would need a parents consent.

The disclosure forms show each firms total spending on legislation on the agenda in New York including the online safety bills and do not reveal their stances on specific bills.

The true scope of Big Tech’s spending to derail the legislation is difficult, if not impossible to pin down but it is expected to surpass the $1 million mark when the next round of disclosures surfaces next month, sources said.

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, a Capitol Hill veteran and chief advocacy officer at Common Sense Media, which supports the bills.

The cannabis industry spent millions of dollars over a period of several years in a bid to get marijuana legalized in New York. In 2022, a group of landlords and their advocates reportedly spent $1.4 million to lobby against passage of new protections for tenants.

They are spending a lot of money to oppose these bills, as if they pose an existential threat to New York, Weiss said of the blitz from Big Tech.

Both bills were endorsed last fall by Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as well as State Attorney General Letitia James. During a January press conference, Hochul described social media as a silent killer of our childrens generation.

The two bills are expected to move through committee in the state assembly as soon as this week, which would be followed by a floor vote. The state senate is also expected to vote on the bills in the near future.

More than 25 other groups, including Mothers Against Media Addiction and the New York State United Teachers Union, have also expressed support for the bills.

Tech firms have hit back, citing fears that the legislation would stifle freedom of speech, online privacy for teens, limit internet access for migrants and other underserved communities, and essentially disable algorithms that help to crack down on hate speech.

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, who co-sponsors the bills, said opponents have funded an aggressive whisper campaign in Albany to delay or defeat the legislation.

It certainly makes the job a lot harder, because these companies, with limitless resources, are able to hire armies of lobbyists who just camp out in the capital all day, Gounardes said. Legislators come and go and these folks are whispering in everyones ear.

Facebook and Instagram parent Meta which already faces a massive federal lawsuit over allegations that it has profited even as its apps fuel a teen mental health crisis spent the most on lobbying related to the tech bills and other items on the state agenda, the disclosures showed.

A Meta spokesperson said the company supports federal legislation that would require app stores to get parents approval when kids under 16 download apps, rather than a state-by-state solution.

Teens move interchangeably between many websites and apps, and different laws in different states will mean teens and their parents have inconsistent experiences online, a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

As we continue working with New York lawmakers, its crucial that we avoid quick fixes and, instead, support legislation that actually empowers parents and supports teens online, the spokesperson added.

Other top spenders include Google and TikTok the latter of which filed a federal lawsuit to block a divestiture bill that would sever its ties to Chinese ownership over national security concerns.

Despite stiff opposition, the legislation appears to be making progress toward approval. The SAFE Act has 94 sponsors in the state assembly, including 81 Democrats and 13 Republicans. In the state senate, it has 25 sponsors, including 21 Democrats and four Republicans.

Gounardes said there is significant bipartisan support for both bills in the Senate.

At this point, I feel reasonably confident that we are going to be able to do something significant for kids on social media this legislative session, the state senator said.

Additionally, tech giants that disclosed lobbying on one or both of the bills include PayPal, Roblox, Snap and Block.

A Roblox spokesperson said the company supports the intent of the two bills but declined to elaborate. A representative for eBay, another firm that showed up on the filings, said the company has not yet taken a position on either bill.

A Block spokesperson confirmed the company has lobbied on the Child Data Protection Act and said it supports the bill with some modifications.

Other key opponents lobbying against the bills include influent trade groups such as Tech:NYC and TechNet.

In a February memo viewed by The Post, Tech:NYC asserted that the two bills have inconsistent age verification policies and argued that common methods used for verification, such as ID or credit card scanning, would fuel data privacy concerns.

We continue to have productive discussions with lawmakers and community groups about these bills, as we all want to find a path forward that protects families, preserves the ability to access useful and supportive information online, and does so without reordering a huge part of our economy, said Julie Samuels, president & CEO of Tech:NYC.

Participants in the PR campaign to kill the bills also include traditional white-shoe lobbying firms as well as so-called astroturf groups, which present themselves as grassroots initiatives but are actually funded by Big Tech money, according to critics.

One such example is a group called New York Inclusive Internet Coalition, which is backed by Tech:NYC and shares the same spokesperson.

A Tech:NYC spokesperson pushed back on claims that it is running an astroturf offensive, asserting that working with local community groups is core to its mission.

Another key proxy is Chamber of Progress, a Big Tech-funded advocacy group that pushes the industrys agenda at the national and state level.

Entertainment

Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin

Published

10 mins ago

July 17, 2025

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Tomorrowland: 'Devastating' blaze destroys main stage at major festival - two days before it was due to begin

A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.

Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.

Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.

The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.

It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.

Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.

The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.

The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.

Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.

Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.

“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”

Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.

Politics

PM criticised over ‘appalling’ decision to suspend four Labour MPs

Published

11 mins ago

July 17, 2025

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Starmer suspends four Labour MPs for breaches of party discipline

Sir Keir Starmer has suspended four MPs for repeated breaches of party discipline.

Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff, Neil Duncan-Jordan and Rachael Maskell have lost the whip, meaning they are no longer part of Labour’s parliamentary party and will sit as independent MPs.

The suspension is indefinite pending a review.

Three other MPs have had their trade envoy roles removed: Rosena Allin Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin.

Politics latest: Suspended MPs defend their voting record

All seven had voted against the government’s welfare reforms earlier this month. However, it is understood this is not the only reason behind the decision, with sources citing “repeated breaches of party discipline”.

More than 100 MPs had initially rebelled against the plan to cut personal independent payments (PIP). Ultimately, 47 voted against the bill’s third reading, after it was watered down significantly in the face of defeat.

Ms Maskell was one of the lead rebels in the welfare revolt, and has more recently called for a wealth tax to fund the U-turn.

The York Central MP has spoken out against the government on a number of other occasions since the election, including on winter fuel and cuts to overseas aid.

Confirming the suspension, Ms Maskell told Sky News that she “doesn’t see herself as a rebel” but “somebody that is prepared to fulfil (her) role here of holding the executive to account and speaking truth to power”.

She stopped short of criticising the decision, saying: “I hold my hand out to the prime minister and hope he takes that and wants to reach back because I think it’s really important that we work together.”

Ms Maskell was first elected in 2015, while the other suspended MPs were newly elected last year.

Mr Hinchliff, the MP for North East Hertfordshire, has proposed a series of amendments to the flagship planning and infrastructure bill criticising the government’s approach.

Mr Duncan-Jordan, the MP for Poole, led a rebellion against the cut to the winter fuel payments while Alloa and Grangemouth MP Mr Leishman has been critical of the government’s position on Gaza.

Suspended Labour MPs clearly hit a nerve with Starmer

Tamara Cohen

Political correspondent

@tamcohen

After a tricky few weeks for the government, in which backbenchers overturned plans to cut back welfare spending, now a heavy hand to get the party into line.

All four suspended MPs appear to be surprised – and upset.

Three more have lost plum roles as trade envoys – all on the left of the party.

All were active in the rebellion against the government’s welfare reforms, and voted against the changes even after a series of U-turns – but were among 47 Labour MPs who did so.

When MPs were told after the welfare vote that Number 10 was “fully committed to engaging with parliamentarians”, this was not what they were expecting.

We’re told the reasons for these particular suspensions go wider – over “persistent breaches of party discipline” – although most are not high profile.

In the scheme of things, Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell rebelled against the Labour whip hundreds of times under New Labour, without being suspended.

But these MPs’ pointed criticism of the Starmer strategy has clearly hit a nerve.

Read Tamara’s analysis in full here

‘Couldn’t support making people poorer’

Mr Duncan-Jordan told Sky News that he understood speaking out against benefit cuts would “come at a cost” but said he “couldn’t support making disabled people poorer”.

Mr Leishman echoed that sentiment, saying: “I firmly believe that it is not my duty as an MP to make people poorer, especially those that have suffered because of austerity and its dire consequences.”

Both said they remain committed to the Labour Party and its values, suggesting they have no plans to join the new party being set up by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and ousted MP Zarah Sultana.

Similarly Mr Hinchliff said in a brief statement: “I remain proud to have been elected as a Labour MP and I hope in time to return to the Labour benches.”

The suspensions will be seen as an attempt to restore discipline ahead of the summer recess following a number of rebellions that has forced the government into U-turns.

As well as watering down the welfare bill, some cuts to the winter fuel payment have been reversed, leaving Chancellor Rachel Reeves with a fiscal blackhole to fill.

However, the move risks creating further divisions with a number of Labour MPs criticising the decision.

Starmer ‘rolling out the carpet to Reform’

Ian Byrne, Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, said he was “appalled” by the suspensions as he and 44 others voted against welfare cuts.

He said this isn’t the first time the Starmer leadership has “punished MPs for standing up for what’s right”, as he and six others were suspended last year for voting against the two-child benefit cap.

“These decisions don’t show strength. They are damaging Labour’s support and risk rolling out the red carpet for Reform,” he added.

Richard Burgon, who was also temporarily suspended in the two-child benefit cap revolt, said he had hoped the leadership would take a different approach to backbenchers.

“Sadly, it isn’t yet doing so. To help stop a Reform government, it really must do so,” he said.

Jon Trickett, Labour MP for Normanton and Hemsworth, said “it’s not a sin to stand up for the poor and disabled”, adding: “Solidarity with the suspended four.”

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