New York Attorney General Letitia James announced this week that social media companies must begin reporting their content moderation policies to her office under the newly enacted “Stop Hiding Hate” Act.
The law, sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Grace Lee and signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, requires platforms with more than $100 million in annual revenue to submit biannual reports detailing how they address hate speech, racism, misinformation, and other harmful content.
“With violence and polarization on the rise, social media companies must ensure that their platforms don’t fuel hateful rhetoric and disinformation,” said Attorney General James. “The Stop Hiding Hate Act requires social media companies to share their content moderation policies publicly and with my office to ensure that these companies are more transparent about how they are addressing harmful content on their platforms. I thank Governor Hochul, Senator Hoylman-Sigal, and Assemblymember Lee for their work on this legislation to ensure transparency and accountability.”
“Whether in our communities or online, my top priority is keeping New Yorkers safe,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “Social media platforms should be a place for people to connect and share their interests — not a place where individuals can hide behind a keyboard to spread hate speech or harass others. This legislation builds on our efforts to improve safety online and marks an important step to increase transparency and accountability.”
Companies must file their first reports by January 1, with submissions accepted online.
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