New York State

Policy

School facial recognition pause passed in Assembly

The legislation, introduced by New York Assemblywoman Monica Wallace in March, would prohibit elementary and secondary schools from purchasing biometric technology – like facial recognition – until July 1, 2022.

New York City

Politics

What’s in a Times endorsement?

The New York Times editorial board endorsed Tiffany Cabán on Tuesday, but do the newspaper’s endorsements sway election outcomes? City & State had a look at the Times editorial board’s endorsements in the past three years.

New York City

Policy

New York City goes after illegal hotels again

New York City’s Office of Special Enforcement is going after illegal home-sharing again, filing a suit in Queens County Supreme Court on Wednesday against 13 people and entities that the city says turned housing units in 36 buildings into illegal rentals.

New York State

Policy

Why everyone wants to slam the brakes on this gig workers bill

State Sen. Diane Savino and Assemblyman Marcos Crespo introduced a bill on Friday that would allow gig economy workers and other independent contractors to unionize and collectively bargain with their employers.

New York State

Policy

What you need to know about the Legislature’s e-bike agreement

The debate over legalizing electric bikes and scooters on New York streets may soon come to a close. With a vote on the amended bill expected to come Wednesday, here are the most important provisions and the bill’s prospects for passing.

New York City

Policy

Saini leaves DoITT amidst controversy

Samir Saini stepped down as head of New York City’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications on Friday.

New York State

Policy

Will New York halt for 5G health concerns?

New York is supposedly in a race with other localities to deploy next-generation 5G wireless networks, but activists raising concerns about potential health effects of cellphone and wireless radiation – and they are gaining some political traction.

New York City

Policy

Brooklyn rising as tech destination

A new report reveals that Brooklyn has been second only to San Francisco in the growth of startups in the past decade.

New York City

Policy

New York isn’t letting up on ride-hail

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan for the Taxi and Limousine Commission to make permanent the cap on for-hire vehicle licenses and institute a limit on the time app-based companies like Uber and Lyft can allow their vehicles to cruise without passengers in the core of Manhattan.

New York City

Policy

Accident puts helicopter safety under microscope

New York lawmakers are calling for a ban on all non-essential helicopters over Manhattan in the wake of this week’s accident.

New York City

Policy

New York’s burgeoning array of tech training programs

New York City’s range of technology education offerings has expanded to keep pace with the city’s growing tech sector.

New York City

Policy

E-bike crackdown gets renewed scrutiny

Critics argue that the NYPD is seizing e-bikes and serving fines to delivery cyclists, who are often low-income immigrants.

New York State

Policy

New York Privacy Act draws industry disapproval

The state Senate passed state Senator Kevin Thomas' SHIELD Act, a long-stalled bill that would expand reporting requirements of data breaches and strengthen cybersecurity regulations for businesses.

New York State

Policy

What we know about rural broadband access

Senator Chuck Schumer is criticizing the Federal Communications Commission for relying on internet providers to self-report their service speeds, which critics say affords companies to opportunity to lie, claiming to provide better service than they actually do.

New York State

Policy

A bill to halt facial recognition tech in schools

Since Lockport City School District officials announced plans to test a facial recognition system in its schools last week, civil rights advocates have been raising alarms about the technology’s privacy and security risks.

New York City

Policy

Airbnb’s New York City legal battles

How much data Airbnb and its peers will be made to share is still up in the air, but there are a few key legal battles to watch as New York attempts to find that answer. City & State broke down the primary conflicts over data sharing that exist between the city and Airbnb and the arguments on each side.

New York State

Politics

De Blasio’s donors sit on the fence and paid vacation gets a boost

Marijuana bill amended, de Blasio’s donors sit on the fence and paid vacation gets a boost, and more in this week's political news roundup.

New York State

Policy

School facial recognition gets pushback from state

Not long after New York’s Lockport City School District announced plans to begin testing its facial recognition system on students and faculty next week, the New York State Education Department released a statement calling on the school district to delay its implementation on students.

New York City

Policy

The subway’s new contactless payment system begins slow rollout Friday

The OMNY system – short for “One Metro New York” – will allow riders to hold a phone or contactless card up to an electronic reader to pay with the help of a technology called “near-field communication,” rather than swiping a MetroCard. The One Metro New York system will allow riders use a phone or contactless card, rather than swipe a MetroCard.