Requires social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms for deleting individual accounts on their platform; requires social media networks to have a clear and concise policy readily available and accessible on their website and application which includes how such social media network will delete individual user accounts and all associated personal data on their platform.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8624
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 22, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CONRAD -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Science and Technology
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring
social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms for deleting
individual accounts on their platform
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
2 394-cccc to read as follows:
3 § 394-cccc. Social media networks; account deletion. 1. As used in
4 this section, "social media network" means online platforms operated for
5 commercial purposes that allow users to create, share, and view content
6 or interact socially with other users, including through messaging,
7 posting, commenting, or liking features.
8 2. A social media network that conducts business in the state, shall
9 provide and maintain a clear and easily accessible mechanism for indi-
10 vidual users, or such users' parents or guardians if the user is under
11 eighteen years of age, unless otherwise emancipated or as otherwise
12 provided by law, to delete such users' accounts and the personal data
13 associated with them. Such mechanism shall be clearly accessible to
14 users of such network, or such users' parents or guardians, and easily
15 accessed from both a social media networks' application and website, and
16 shall allow the social media network to provide a direct response to any
17 individual, within fourteen days of the deletion request, that such
18 individual's account and personal data has been deleted from such social
19 media network's application and website. For the purposes of this
20 subdivision, "clear and easily accessible" shall mean that the deletion
21 mechanism is no more than two clicks from the user's main account
22 settings page, is written in plain language, and is available in any
23 version of the platform offered to users in the state.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11953-02-5
A. 8624 2
1 3. Each social media network shall have a clear and concise policy
2 readily available and accessible on their website and application which
3 includes how such social media network will delete individual user
4 accounts and all associated personal data, including content, metadata,
5 and user activity logs, to the extent not legally required to retain, on
6 their platform.
7 4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to add to or increase
8 liability of a social media network for anything other than the failure
9 to provide a mechanism for a user to delete their account and personal
10 data on their platform and to receive a confirmation of such deletion.
11 5. Any social media platform that knowingly fails to comply with the
12 requirements of this section shall be assessed a civil penalty for such
13 violation by the attorney general not to exceed one thousand dollars per
14 individual affected, per day of noncompliance. Each day such offense
15 shall continue shall constitute a separate additional violation. In
16 determination of any such violation, the attorney general shall be
17 authorized to take proof and make a determination of the relevant facts
18 and to issue subpoenas in accordance with the civil practice law and
19 rules.
20 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
21 it shall have become a law.
