New York: Attorney General Letitia James has joined a bipartisan coalition of 44 other attorneys general in urging Congress to reject the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act), arguing the bill would weaken states’ ability to protect children online and shield big tech companies from accountability.
In a letter to Congressional leadership, Attorney General James and the coalition warn that the KIDS Act would prevent states from addressing online threats to minors, including from social media, social gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. The coalition is calling on Congress to reject the KIDS Act and instead pass the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
“Online platforms are fueling a mental health crisis among young people, and New York has led the way to enact new measures to protect our kids,” said Attorney General James. “The KIDS Act would strip states of their ability to protect our children online. I am proud to join a bipartisan coalition of my fellow attorneys general in sending a clear message to Congress: the KIDS Act should not become law.”
Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the KIDS Act would preempt state laws that address critical safety measures concerning online obscenity, online harms to children, social gaming platforms, and AI chatbots.
This sweeping federal preemption would also severely restrict states’ abilities to pass new laws to protect children online and limit the power of attorneys general to enforce state laws.
In addition to advancing legislation, Attorney General James has filed lawsuits against TikTok and Meta for harming children online. In February 2026, she sued game developer Valve for promoting gambling through its video games that are popular with children and teens.
In September 2024, Attorney General James co-led a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in urging Congress to implement warning labels on social media platforms as called for by the United States Surgeon General.
Law firm targeting NYC tenants shut downAttorney General Letitia James announced that her office has secured an agreement to close the predatory law firm Tenants Counsel Network (TCN) for taking advantage of New York City tenants facing eviction. An Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation found that TCN targeted tenants facing eviction and used deceptive marketing tactics to trap them into binding legal agreements that required a monthly subscription fee. After trapping tenants in these agreements, TCN failed to provide adequate legal counsel, including failing to show up to eviction court proceedings. As a result of OAG’s intervention, TCN and its Founding Partner, Aryeh Weber, must dissolve their firm, refund $172,257 to former clients, and pay $35,000 in penalties to New York. |
