2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 5 - Department of Law › 70-C - Task Force on Social Media and Violent Extremism.

§  70-c.  Task  force  on  social  media  and  violent  extremism.  1.
Establishment and organization. (a) There is hereby established  a  task
force  on  social  media  and violent extremism within the department of
law.
(b) The attorney general may  appoint  or  assign  a  deputy  attorney
general and/or one or more assistants to serve on the task force.
(c)  The  mission  of  the  task  force  on  social  media and violent
extremism shall be  to  study,  investigate,  and  make  recommendations
relating  to  the  use, operations, policies, programs, and practices of
online social media companies and any role they may have  in  promoting,
facilitating, and providing platforms for individuals and groups to plan
and  promote  acts of violence, including but not limited to, the use of
such platforms to: initiate threats against public safety or  against  a
specific   group   of  individuals  based  on  an  actual  or  perceived
classification or  characteristic;  communicate  or  plan  for  criminal
activity,  including  but  not limited to, hate crimes, acts of domestic
terrorism, or acts of  domestic  terrorism  motivated  by  hate;  spread
extremist  content;  and  aid  in the radicalization and mobilization of
extremist individuals or groups.
2. Functions and duties.  Subject  to  appropriations  made  available
therefor,   the   task   force  shall  have  the  following  duties  and
responsibilities:
(a) to receive and investigate complaints from any source, or upon its
own initiative, allegations involving the use and role of  social  media
platforms   in   broadcasting,   streaming,   promoting,   or  otherwise
facilitating  acts  of  violence  as  described  in  paragraph  (c)   of
subdivision one of this section;
(b)  to  determine,  with  respect to such allegations, whether social
media companies may be civilly or criminally liable for  their  role  in
promoting,  facilitating,  or  providing  a platform for individuals and
groups to plan and promote acts of violence as  described  in  paragraph
(c) of subdivision one of this section, or whether further investigation
by  the  department  of  law  is  warranted  or whether a referral to an
appropriate federal, state or local law enforcement agency is necessary,
and to assist in such investigations, if requested by a federal,  state,
or local law enforcement agency;
(c)  to prepare and make public reports regarding the work of the task
force,  provided,  however  that  such   reports   shall   not   include
confidential  or  other  protected  information  or any information that
pertains to or may interfere with ongoing or future investigations;
(d) to review and examine periodically the use, operations,  policies,
programs,  and practices of social media companies and any role they may
have in promoting, facilitating, and providing platforms for individuals
and groups to  plan  and  promote  acts  of  violence  as  described  in
paragraph (c) of subdivision one of this section;
(e) to cooperate with and assist the division of homeland security and
emergency  services  or  any  other  state  or  local  agency  as may be
appropriate in their efforts to counter acts of violence as described in
paragraph (c) of subdivision one of this section;
(f) to review the final report of the domestic  terrorism  task  force
established  pursuant  to section six of part R of chapter fifty-five of
the  laws  of  two  thousand  twenty,  setting   forth   the   findings,
conclusions,  recommendations,  and  activities  of  the  task force, to
examine  and  evaluate  how  to  prevent  mass  shootings  by   domestic
terrorists  in  New  York  state in furtherance of the goals of the task
force on social media and violent extremism;
(g) to recommend remedial action to prevent the use  of  social  media
platforms by individuals and groups to plan and promote acts of violence
as described in paragraph (c) of subdivision one of this section;
(h)  on  an  annual  basis,  to  submit to the governor, the temporary
president of the senate, the  speaker  of  the  assembly,  the  minority
leader  of  the senate and the minority leader of the assembly, no later
than December thirty-first, a report summarizing the activities  of  the
task force and recommending specific changes to state law to further the
mission of the task force on social media and violent extremism; and
(i)  to  perform  any other functions and duties that are necessary or
appropriate to fulfill the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  the  task
force.
3.  Powers.  In  executing  its  duties  under subdivision two of this
section, the task force shall have the power to:
(a) subpoena and enforce the attendance of witnesses;
(b) administer oaths or affirmations and examine witnesses under oath;
(c) request and receive from the division  of  homeland  security  and
emergency  services,  the  division  of  state  police,  the division of
criminal justice services, and from every department,  division,  board,
bureau,  commission  or  other  agency of the state, or of any political
subdivision thereof, cooperation and assistance in  the  performance  of
its duties;
(d) provide technical and other assistance to any district attorney or
other  local  law enforcement official requesting such assistance in the
investigation or prosecution of cases involving the role of social media
platforms  in   broadcasting,   streaming,   promoting,   or   otherwise
facilitating   acts  of  violence  as  described  in  paragraph  (c)  of
subdivision one of this section; and
(e) conduct hearings at any place within the  state  and  require  the
production  of any books, records, documents or other evidence he or she
may deem relevant or material to an investigation.