New York State Sen. Andrew Gounardes has introduced a new bill, the New York Children's Online Safety Act (NYCOSA), which targets online platforms, including Roblox, to protect children's online safety. The bill aims to prevent strangers from contacting minors on social networks and requires platforms to make children's profiles private by default.

The NYCOSA builds on previous legislation, including the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act, and is a response to growing concerns about children's online safety. The bill would also give parents more control over their children's social media accounts, including the ability to approve friend requests and view connections.

The introduction of the NYCOSA is significant for the tech and startup community, as it highlights the increasing scrutiny of online platforms and the need for stronger regulations to protect children's online safety. Roblox, in particular, has come under fire for its lack of age verification and safety measures, and the bill's provisions could have a major impact on the platform's operations.