NYC News: Social Media Age Verification, Bus Lane Cameras, and Warehoused Apartments

Proposed Social Media Age Verification

• 💡 New York Attorney General Letitia James has proposed regulations requiring social media users to prove their age via photo or video verification.
• 🎯 This initiative aims to protect minors from the effects of addictive algorithm-based feeds on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
• ⏳ Public comments on the proposals are being accepted until December 1st, with rules potentially finalized within a year.

Expansion of Bus Lane Camera Enforcement

• 🚌 The MTA is expanding its Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE) program to four more bus routes in Queens and the Bronx.
• ⚡ This program aims to keep bus lanes clear and speed up bus service by issuing summonses to drivers who block lanes or stops.
• 📈 The expansion increases the number of bus lines using the system to 39 citywide, with over 200 buses equipped.

Addressing Warehoused Rent-Stabilized Apartments

• 🏠 New York City is struggling with an affordable housing shortage, yet thousands of rent-stabilized units are kept vacant by landlords.
• 💰 A city program offering landlords up to $25,000 to reopen these apartments has seen no takers; the payout is now doubled to $50,000.
• 🔑 Landlords cite low legal rents, the cost of renovations, and reluctance to work with city bureaucracy or accept voucher tenants as reasons for not participating.
• 📊 Estimates vary on the number of warehoused units, with the Independent Budget Office suggesting around 13,000, while landlord groups claim tens of thousands.
• ⚖️ Alternative proposals like a vacancy tax are considered potentially unconstitutional, and landlords seek relief on property taxes and insurance.