State Senator Kristen Gonzalez (left) and Richard Khuzami of OANA.
By COLE SINANIAN
cole@queensledger.com
ASTORIA — State Senator Kristen Gonzalez wants your personal data to stay personal.
Having sponsored a series of ambitious bills aimed at limiting tech companies’ access to New Yorkers’ personal data, the Elmhurst native is on the forefront of the push to regulate the tech industry at a time when artificial intelligence seems to be creeping into every corner of society.
During an online meeting on March 25 hosted by the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association (OANA), Gonzalez outlined several of her recent bills, including legislation that would stop the MTA from sharing rider data with law enforcement and restrict government agencies’ ability to use artificial intelligence tools.
Gonzalez, a Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed senator who began her legislative term in 2023, has sponsored and introduced several AI bills, including the landmark Senate Bill S1169A — also known as the New York AI Act — which would give the state government the tools to prosecute AI companies by authorizing independent audits and prohibiting algorithmic discrimination. Gonzalez also sponsored Senate Bill S3044, a bill that would empower consumers to obtain the names of all entities collecting their data, and has supported Assembly Bill A5739, or the ‘Secure Our Data” Act, which would compel state agencies to develop a standardized data protection framework regarding state-held consumer data.
Her bill, the “legislative oversight of automated decision-making in government” act (LOADinG) was recently signed by Governor Hochul and aims to regulate the use of generative AI by government agencies. At the OANA meeting, Gonzalez explained that prior to the bill, there was no public reporting on which AI tools the state government was using. The now infamous MyCity chatbot, for example, an AI tool for small businesses implemented by the Adams Administration, encouraged users to break the law by suggesting that business owners should take a cut of their employees’ tips.
“These aren’t perfect tools either, and I think we have to be mindful in what context we’re using them,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of them have kind of been sold as these silver bullets but at the end of the day, you should always be in control of the data that’s being used, where that tool is sending information.”
Gonzalez also called attention to her efforts to secure rider data collected by transit companies through her bill, SB S4886A, which would prohibit the disclosure of individual fare payment data to outside agencies. Transit companies like the MTA collect rider data that shows their movements— possibly sensitive information that could compromise rider privacy if shared with law enforcement or tech companies without their knowledge or consent, Gonzalez argued.
“Sometimes it’s not just a single company or an authority like the MTA that’s suddenly getting a lot of data about you that could be used for a number of purposes,” she said. “Sometimes there are companies that are literally dedicated to taking that and buying and selling and creating an entire market around it.”
