What's happening
This bill prohibits knowingly or recklessly promoting unlawful or false content that endangers public health or safety, and provides legal remedies for violations.
Why it matters
Targets platforms and individuals who use algorithms (not just chronological feeds) to promote harmful or false content. , meaning social media and tech companies could be held responsible for how their systems amplify certain posts, not just for the original content itself.
Expands liability to both knowing and reckless behavior. , lowering the threshold for enforcement—companies and individuals could be found in violation even if they didn’t intend harm, as long as they “reasonably should know” their actions could endanger public health or safety.
Defines violations as a public nuisance regardless of intent. , allowing government authorities (like the attorney general or local corporation counsel) to seek injunctions, restitution, or damages, which could lead to aggressive legal action against violators.
Creates a private right of action. , enabling individuals or organizations who are harmed by unlawful or false promoted content to sue for damages directly, potentially increasing litigation risk for platforms and content promoters.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Stop Promoting Harmful Content
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to judiciary
- Referred to judiciary
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1071
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. GLICK, GIBBS, SEAWRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to prohibiting the knowing and reckless promotion of unlawful or false material and providing remedies for the violation of such prohibition
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The general obligations law is amended by adding a new article 18-D to read as follows:
ARTICLE 18-D
KNOWING AND RECKLESS PROMOTION OF UNLAWFUL OR FALSE MATERIAL
Section 18-500. Definitions.
18-501. Prohibited activities.
18-502. Public nuisance.
18-503. Enforcement.
18-504. Private right of action.
§ 18-500. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, both "knowingly" and "recklessly" shall have the same meaning as defined in section 15.05 of the penal law.
§ 18-501. Prohibited activities. No person, by conduct either unlawful in itself or unreasonable under all the circumstances, shall knowingly or recklessly create, maintain or contribute to a condition in New York state that endangers the safety or health of the public through the promotion of content, including through the use of algorithms or other automated systems that prioritize content by a method other than solely by time and date such content was created, the person knows or reasonably should know:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01916-01-5
1. advocates for the use of force, is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action, and is likely to incite or produce such action;
2. advocates for self-harm, is directed to inciting or producing imminent self-harm, and is likely to incite or produce such action; or
3. includes a false statement of fact or fraudulent medical theory that is likely to endanger the safety or health of the public.
§ 18-502. Public nuisance. 1. A violation of section 18-501 of this article that results in harm to the public shall hereby be declared to be a public nuisance.
2. The existence of a public nuisance as provided in this section shall not depend on whether the person acted for the purpose of causing harm to the public.
§ 18-503. Enforcement. Whenever there shall be a violation of this article, the attorney general, in the name of the people of the state of New York, or a city corporation counsel on behalf of the locality, may bring an action in the supreme court or federal district court to enjoin and restrain such violations and to obtain restitution and damages.
§ 18-504. Private right of action. Any person, firm, corporation or association that has been damaged as a result of a person's acts or omissions in violation of this article shall be entitled to bring an action for recovery of damages or to enforce this article in the supreme court or federal district court.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.