N.Y.
General Business Law Section 1539
Definitions
1.
“Connected” and variations thereof shall mean that two users using the covered platform or two accounts on the covered platform are connected to each other by:(a)
sending a request to connect to another user or account holder and having the request to connect accepted by the other user or account holder; or(b)
receiving a request to connect from another user or account holder and accepting the request to connect.2.
“Covered minor” shall mean any user in New York who has been reasonably determined by an operator, via age assurance, as set forth in this article, to be under the age of eighteen.3.
“Operator” shall mean any person, business, or other legal entity who operates or provides a covered platform.4.
“Parent” shall mean a parent or legal guardian.5.
“Tag” shall mean when a user clearly identifies a second user in posted media.6.
“User” shall mean a user of a covered platform not acting as an operator, or agent or affiliate of such operator, of such platform or any portion thereof.7.
“Covered user” shall mean a user of a covered platform in New York not acting as an operator, agent or affiliate of such operator, of such platform or of any portion thereof.8.
“Money” shall mean a medium of exchange currently authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government.9.
“Digital currency” shall mean a digital representation of value, recognized only on the covered platform, that is supplied, exchanged and managed pursuant to the policies or rules of such covered platform, and is not accepted or considered a medium of exchange currently authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government.10.
“AI companion” shall have the same meaning as subdivision four of § 1700 (Definitions)section seventeen hundred of this chapter; provided, however, that an “AI companion” shall not include an artificial intelligence system or non-player character that operates exclusively within a game or immersive digital environment, provided that such system’s interactions are strictly constrained to the fictional context of such game or environment and do not initiate, encourage, or sustain dialogue concerning the user’s real-world life, emotional state, or personal affairs.11.
“Integrated AI companion” shall mean an AI companion that is an accessible or usable feature of a covered platform.12.
“Covered platform” shall mean a public or semi-public website, online service, online application, or mobile application that:(a)
is used by a covered minor in this state;(b)
allows users to construct a public or semi-public profile for the purposes of using such website, service, or application; and(c)
offers or provides the following features:(i)
a mechanism to allow users to communicate privately with each other within the website, service or application or through platform integration with a separate website, service, or application; and(ii)
(A) a mechanism to create or post media that is viewable by other users and a mechanism to respond to such media, including but not limited to, through a landing page or feed that presents the user with media created or posted by other users; or (B) a mechanism: (1) to create games or immersive digital environments for other users or to play online games; and (2) to make in game purchases using money or to exchange money for digital currency as well as to exchange digital currency for money.13.
“Media” shall mean text, an image or a video. Games and immersive digital environments are not media.14.
“Age assurance” shall mean reasonable and technically feasible methods to determine the age of a user, made consistent with subdivision one of § 1540 (Privacy by default and parental approvals)section fifteen hundred forty of this article.15.
“Syncing” shall mean when a user imports existing connections or contact information pertaining to other users into a covered platform.16.
“Platform integration” shall mean any form of linking a user’s account on a covered platform with the user’s account on one or more different covered platforms. * NB Effective January 1, 2027
Source:
Section 1539 — Definitions, https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GBS/1539 (updated May 29, 2026; accessed Jun. 27, 2026).
