Twenty-six organizations across New York state have issued a memorandum of support for two pieces of legislation aimed at protecting children on social media as final budget negotiations continue.

The organizations, which include New York State United Teachers, the National Alliance on Mental Illness NY,  the state School Boards Association, various Urban League branches and other organized labor, say the state Legislature should act now to pass the "Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act" and the "Child Data Protection Act."

The first would require parental or guardian consent in order for children under 18 to access predictive algorithms that tailor social media feeds specifically to them.

The latter would limit the ability of companies to collect personal data from children and monetize it.

"I think it will show that there is really significant support for taking the strongest possible legislative action to help curb and reign in the excess and the harmful effect that big tech is having on kids," state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, who sponsors both bills, said.

State leaders including the governor and the attorney general have targeted the predictive algorithms for reform this year, claiming a significant number of teens are suffering from lack of sleep, depression, suicidal thoughts and more due to the technology. The social media indutry has pushed back against the claims, arguing the algorithms provide a better experience for children and actually help to filter adult content.

Gounardes pointed to a Harvard Medical School study that found social media made $11 billion in digital advertisements sales specifically aimed at children in 2022.

"Big tech, big social, they have 11 billion reasons to not want to change the status quo which is making them money hand over fist," Goundardes said.

Maryland this week passed two similar bills and Gounardes said New York should not fall behind. The data protection bill was part of the state Senate's budget proposal, however the algorithm restrictions were not.

The sponsor is hopeful both can still be included in the final deal.