Gov. Hochul Signs NY Social Media Hate-Speech Law

New York state will regulate social media. As expected, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed a bill Monday, passed last week by the legislature, to require social platforms to provide reporting mechanisms for hateful conduct (see 2206020063). Tech and civil liberties groups say the law is unconstitutional, comparing it to litigated Texas and Florida laws that prohibit content moderation (see 2206020063). The law "sends a strong message to social media platforms ... that they must take real action to protect New Yorkers from the spread of dangerous hate speech and misinformation both online and offline," said sponsor Assemblymember Patricia Fahy (D) in the governor's announcement about signing several bills to strengthen gun laws. NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association sued those two states. “Because the law was rushed through without the normal period for public comment, we are still reviewing it to decide on our next steps," said NetChoice Counsel Chris Marchese.