If your child plays Roblox or uses platforms with AI chat features, New York just became the first US state to require those features be disabled for children by default. The timing matters. Five days after Governor Kathy Hochul announced proposals to disable AI chatbots on children’s accounts, a major platform’s AI tool was generating child sexual abuse material at scale.

On January 5, 2026, Hochul announced the Stop Online Predators Act would be included in her State of the State address. The bill, sponsored by State Senator Andrew Gounardes, specifically names Roblox as a platform enabling unsafe environments for children. It requires platforms to disable AI chatbot features, open chat functions, and generative predictive text for children unless parents explicitly enable them.

Whether New York’s approach becomes a national model depends on how other states respond to platform companies that build features children can access without adequate safeguards.

What Happened

Governor Hochul Backs Stop Online Predators Act: Kathy Hochul announced on January 5, 2026 that she would include the Stop Online Predators Act (formerly the New York Children’s Online Safety Act) in her State of the State proposals. The bill was sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblymember Nily Rozic (D-Queens).

Hochul said: “As New York’s first mom governor, the well-being and safety of our children has always been one of my top priorities, and today we are continuing to break new ground to give our kids the tools and safeguards they need.”

Bill Requirements: The Stop Online Predators Act would require platforms that allow children to implement age verification, disable open chat by default for children, require parental approval for chat and friend requests for users under 13, disable AI chatbot features for children’s accounts, and provide parental controls for financial transactions.

Roblox Named Specifically: Attorney General Letitia James said: “Online platforms like Roblox are enabling unsafe environments for children, including allowing predators to send explicit messages to children.”

Roblox reported over 13,000 instances of child exploitation in 2023 alone. Over 40% of Roblox’s users report being under 13.

AI Chatbot Restrictions: The bill goes further than previous New York child safety legislation by targeting AI features specifically. Hochul’s proposal would disable AI chatbot features, generative predictive text, and AI model chat features on children’s accounts.

This makes New York the first state to specifically restrict AI conversational features for children, not just algorithmic content feeds.

Builds on Existing Laws: The Stop Online Predators Act builds on the SAFE for Kids Act passed in 2024. The New York Attorney General finalised regulations for that law in September 2025, with public comment closing December 1. The new legislation expands those protections to cover gaming platforms and AI features.

Why This Timing Matters

Grok Scandal Validated Hochul’s Concerns: Hochul announced AI chatbot restrictions on January 5, 2026. On December 25, 2025, X’s Grok AI began generating sexualised deepfakes of children at scale. The tool generated 6,700 explicit images per hour at its peak, with 85% of output being sexualised content.

Critics called Hochul’s proposal government overreach when announced. The Grok scandal five days later made her look prescient rather than paranoid. When platforms launch AI features without adequate safety testing and those features are used to create child sexual abuse material within weeks, that validates concerns about letting platforms self-regulate.

Roblox Under Federal Investigation: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued criminal subpoenas against Roblox in October 2025 citing concerns about adult predators targeting children. In November 2025, federal prosecutors announced a life sentence for Italo Bonini, a former middle school teacher who groomed children he met on Roblox.

At least 24 people have been arrested in the United States since 2018 on charges of abducting or sexually abusing children they groomed on Roblox. Six people were arrested in 2025 alone. New York’s focus on Roblox isn’t theoretical concern. It’s responding to documented patterns of abuse.

Gaming Platforms Previously Unregulated: Most US child safety legislation has focused on social media platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook. Gaming platforms like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite have largely avoided regulatory scrutiny despite millions of child users and integrated chat features.

New York’s bill changes that. By naming Roblox explicitly and applying restrictions to “online platforms” rather than just “social media,” the legislation covers gaming platforms where children spend significant time.

What It Means for Your Family’s Decisions

If your child uses Roblox: New York will require Roblox to disable chat by default and require your explicit approval to enable it. For users under 13, you would also need to approve each friend request.

Roblox already offers parental controls that let you disable chat, restrict it to friends only, or limit financial transactions.

If your child uses apps with AI chatbots: New York’s restrictions affect any platform with AI conversational features: Character.AI, Replika, Snapchat’s My AI, and similar services would need to disable these for children or implement age verification.

The Grok scandal demonstrated AI chatbots can generate harmful content faster than platforms moderate. Whether you agree with restricting AI access depends on your view of the risks versus any educational benefits/entertainment.

If you’re watching how states regulate children’s technology: New York is naming specific platforms (Roblox) and specific features (AI chatbots) that must be restricted. Most legislation focuses on broad requirements without targeting particular companies.

If other states follow this model of naming problematic platforms explicitly, expect faster action on known problems but potentially slower comprehensive reform.

What This Doesn’t Resolve

Age Verification Privacy: The bill requires “commercially reasonable” age verification but doesn’t specify methods. Facial scanning, ID upload, and other approaches all raise privacy concerns.

Definition of AI Chatbot: What qualifies as “AI chatbot features” versus helpful autocomplete or grammar tools remains unclear.

Enforcement: Who verifies platforms have disabled features properly? What penalties apply for violations? Without consistent oversight, platforms may implement minimal compliance.

What Happens Next

State of the State Address: Hochul’s formal State of the State address will provide more details on implementation timeline and specific provisions. The bill must pass the New York legislature before becoming law.

Platform Response: Roblox recently announced mandatory facial age verification for all users globally, rolling out in January 2026. Whether that satisfies New York’s requirements or whether additional restrictions are needed remains unclear.

Other platforms with AI chatbot features will need to develop compliance strategies if the bill passes. Expect lobbying from tech companies arguing the restrictions are too broad or technically infeasible.

Other States Watching: If New York successfully implements AI chatbot restrictions and Roblox-specific requirements, expect other states to introduce similar legislation. The Stop Online Predators Act could become a model for targeted platform regulation rather than industry-wide requirements.

When governments start naming specific platforms and specific features that must be disabled for children, that signals the end of hoping platforms will self-regulate. Whether New York’s approach protects children or creates unintended consequences will influence how other states balance platform accountability against parental autonomy and children’s digital access.

Sources

• NYSenate.gov, “Sen. Gounardes’ Bill to Protect Kids Online Will Be Included in Governor’s State of the State,” January 5, 2026
• Adirondack Daily Enterprise, “Hochul targets Roblox, kid-focused platforms in renewed push for online child safety,” January 6, 2026
• US Senate Bill S.278, Kids Off Social Media Act, 119th Congress (2025-2026)