Following reports that Google is pressuring schools to keep AI tools enabled or lose search access, lawmakers including Senators Bernie Sanders and Richard Blumenthal publicly criticized the company. Google responded by saying it is giving schools "more choice, not less" and announced updates so AI Mode and AI Overviews will offer step-by-step guided learning rather than direct answers, but it has not offered users a way to turn the AI features off entirely.
futurism.com
· 2026-11-08
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized Google after the company said schools that fully disable its AI features in educational software will also lose access to Google Search. Google had announced it would turn off AI tools by default unless administrators opt in, but its education VP Chris Phillips said search and AI are now too intertwined to separate, a claim first reported by the New York Times.
futurism.com
· 2026-11-08
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told Wired that surveillance technologies like those used by Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan's company are 'indicative of much that is wrong' in the country. He pointed to two bills from Council member Shahana Hanif that would ban collection of biometric data, including facial recognition, in public places citywide. The remarks follow Wired reporting that MSG uses facial scanning to track visitors, including a database allegedly labeling some people as 'LGBTQIA'; Dolan's company has sued Wired over that coverage and denies the reporting's accuracy.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-11-03
In an interview, New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said he would push one of the most comprehensive school AI moratoriums in the US, barring generative AI use for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. He compared the current hype around AI to the 2008 housing bubble and said he does not trust AI industry leaders like Sam Altman to self-regulate.
wired.com
· 2026-11-03
At a public event in Manhattan hosted by the AI Now Institute, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the federal government has failed to regulate artificial intelligence, leaving cities to respond on their own. He pointed to his administration's recent actions, including a ban on AI use in New York City elementary and middle schools and a policy requiring real estate listings to disclose AI-generated photos or videos.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-20
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced a deal on Tuesday to ban horse-drawn carriages from operating in the city, including Central Park. The move would end a practice that has drawn controversy for more than a century and that previous mayors failed to eliminate despite repeated attempts.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-15
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have agreed on legislation to phase out Central Park's horse-drawn carriage industry, with a full ban taking effect June 1, 2028. Menin plans to bring the bill to a council vote later this month, according to a spokesperson.
cnn.com
· 2026-10-14
WIRED reports that the ICE agent seen brandishing a rifle at Thursday's Marble Hill shooting, where agents shot Oscar Belgal near a car with a 5-year-old inside, is Brenden Cuni, a supervisor with ICE's National Fugitive Operations team. Court documents and public records reviewed by WIRED show Cuni has previously been accused of unlawful arrests and excessive force in New York and during Minneapolis's Operation Metro Surge, including allegedly using a Taser on a handcuffed man and being among agents who forced a pregnant woman to the ground.
wired.com
· 2026-10-09
New York City has implemented a local rule, set by a January executive order and effective Oct. 1, requiring businesses to let customers cancel subscriptions as easily as they signed up. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the measure alongside city officials, and the city launched a webpage where residents can file complaints against companies, including those not based in NYC, and request remedies like refunds and cancellations.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-06
New York City's Click-to-Cancel Rule has taken effect, requiring companies to let customers cancel subscriptions using the same method they used to sign up. The rule, enforced by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, covers streaming services, gym memberships, subscription boxes and free trials that convert to paid plans. Businesses must disclose price, billing terms and cancellation details before taking payment information, and violations carry fines starting at $525.
techspot.com
· 2026-10-02
New York City's click-to-cancel rule went into effect October 1, requiring businesses to let consumers cancel subscriptions as easily as they sign up. The city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will enforce the rule, with violations carrying civil penalties starting at $525 and potential refunds for consumers. The city also launched a new online portal, built with NYC Office of Technology, for residents to file complaints about subscription services.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-01
New York City's click-to-cancel rule took effect Thursday, requiring businesses to make canceling a subscription as easy as signing up for one. The city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection says the policy could save residents between $21.5 million and $162.5 million a year, and residents can now file complaints with the city over violations.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-01
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