October 4, 2025
New York is mandating that major social media apps disclose the volume of their hate speech and misinformation.
On Thursday, Oct. 2, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the start of a new policy that requires social media companies to report their content moderation policies to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), as part of the “Stop Hiding Hate” act.
Sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Grace Lee and signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul, the legislation mandates that platforms submit biannual reports detailing how their policies address hate speech, racism, misinformation, and other types of content.
“With violence and polarization on the rise, social media companies must ensure that their platforms don’t fuel hateful rhetoric and disinformation,” James. said. “The Stop Hiding Hate Act requires social media companies to share their content moderation policies publicly and with my office to ensure that these companies are more transparent about how they are addressing harmful content on their platforms.”
Enacted in December 2024, the “Stop Hiding Hate” law holds social media companies accountable by increasing transparency around platform content. It requires these companies to submit biannual reports to the OAG, detailing their terms of service and explaining how they define and address forms of hate speech, racism, extremism, disinformation, harassment, and foreign political interference. Reports must also outline enforcement practices, steps taken, and data on flagged or acted-upon content.
The law targets social media companies operating in New York with over $100 million in annual revenue. Starting Oct. 2, these companies can submit their content moderation reports online, with a deadline of January 1.
“Whether in our communities or online, my top priority is keeping New Yorkers safe,” said Hochul. “Social media platforms should be a place for people to connect and share their interests—not a place where individuals can hide behind a keyboard to spread hate speech or harass others. This legislation builds on our efforts to improve safety online and marks an important step to increase transparency and accountability.”
Online hate speech includes prejudiced remarks based on race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. Studies show that up to one-third of internet users have encountered hate speech online, with the figure rising to around 50% within the online gaming community.
The rise of hate speech on social media is fueled by platform designs that prioritize emotionally charged content, the creation of “echo chambers” that normalize hateful views, and the spread of AI-generated disinformation. Although social media companies maintain policies to combat hate speech, their effectiveness is debated, with recent research finding a persistent spike in hate speech on X (formerly Twitter) following its acquisition by Elon Musk.
RELATED CONTENT: Charges Dropped Against Black Woman For Using The N-Word On “X”
