- New York Senate Bill S08102, introduced by Andrew Gounardes, proposes requiring internet-connected devices to verify users' ages before they can fully access their devices and apps.
- The bill would require device manufacturers, operating system providers, and app stores to conduct "age assurance" at device activation and share a user’s age category with apps through a digital signal.
- Users would be grouped into four age categories under 13, 13–15, 16–17 and 18 or older and app developers must treat the signal as authoritative when determining whether a user is a minor.
- Rulemaking and enforcement would be handled by the New York State Office of the Attorney General under Letitia James, with potential verification methods possibly including biometrics or government ID, similar to proposals under the SAFE for Kids Act.
- Critics warn the proposal could create privacy risks by enabling persistent age tracking and requiring sensitive data.
A proposed New York law that would require internet-connected devices to verify a user's age before allowing normal access is drawing sharp debate from privacy advocates and technology policy experts.
The measure, Senate Bill S08102, introduced by Sen. Andrew Gounardes, would require manufacturers of smartphones, laptops, tablets and other internet-enabled devices to implement what the legislation calls "age assurance." The proposal is currently under review in the New York State Senate Consumer Protection Committee.
If enacted, the bill would extend age-verification requirements beyond social media platforms to the underlying technology itself, including device manufacturers, operating system providers and application stores. Companies would need to determine a user's age category when a device is activated and transmit that information to apps and websites through a digital signal.
Under the proposal, users would be grouped into four age categories: under 13, ages 13 to 15, ages 16 to 17 and 18 or older. App developers would be required to request the age signal when users download or launch an application and treat the signal as authoritative when determining whether the user is a minor.
Oversight and rulemaking authority
The legislation gives rulemaking authority to the New York State Office of the Attorney General, led by Letitia James. The office would determine what methods qualify as "commercially reasonable" forms of age assurance and would also enforce the law.
The bill itself defines age assurance broadly as any method that can reasonably determine a user's age category and prevent circumvention. Cindy Harper of Reclaim the Net wrote in her article that the language leaves the door open for stricter forms of verification.
Some of those potential methods have already been discussed as part of rulemaking tied to the SAFE for Kids Act, a separate law aimed at limiting addictive features on social media for minors. Proposed rules released in September 2025 suggested approaches such as biometric analysis or verification using government-issued identification.
James has argued that such regulations are necessary to address the mental health challenges young people face online.
"Children and teenagers are struggling with high rates of anxiety and depression because of addictive features on social media platforms," she said when releasing draft rules for the SAFE for Kids Act. "The proposed rules released by my office today will help us tackle the youth mental health crisis and make social media safer for kids and families."
New York's proposal comes as several states move to introduce age-verification systems for online services. California Assembly Bill 1043, which is scheduled to take effect in 2027, requires operating systems to create tools allowing users to self-declare their age. That information can then be shared with applications through an application programming interface.
In line with this, Harper wrote that New York's proposal appears more stringent because it could allow stronger verification measures rather than relying solely on self-reported age.
Privacy concerns
Harper also warns that embedding age verification at the device level could create new privacy risks. Because the system would broadcast a user's age category to apps that request it, critics argue it could introduce a persistent age-tracking layer across devices and online services.
This, according to BrightU.AI's Enoch, could result in the collection and storage of sensitive personal data. Additionally, the broad definition of 'age assurance' in the bill leaves room for the implementation of stricter verification methods, such as biometric analysis or government-issued identification, which could further erode user privacy and autonomy.
If passed, the law would take effect one year after being signed, giving technology companies time to update their devices, operating systems and app stores to comply with the new requirements.
Watch this clip from InfoWars as host Harrison Smith talks about how the World Economic Forum is preparing to launch a global digital ID system.
This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.
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