Cybersecurity expert warns: no rules yet for AI data centers or Snapchat child safety
New York has enacted a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale AI data centers to study their environmental and community impacts. Cybersecurity expert Leeza Garber highlights the lack of uniform national standards for both AI infrastructure and online child safety, leaving regulation to states, companies, and families. The article also discusses Snapchat's role in child safety.
New York has become the first state to approve a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale AI data centers. This decision, aimed at allowing lawmakers time to study the environmental and community impacts of these massive facilities, comes amidst growing concerns in various states and local communities regarding the strain on energy and water supplies, as well as neighborhood impacts.
Cybersecurity expert and privacy attorney Leeza Garber spoke with The National News Desk, noting that this debate highlights a significant divide between federal priorities to rapidly expand AI infrastructure and state officials seeking greater oversight. Garber pointed out that while President Donald Trump made AI infrastructure a national priority, New York's moratorium reflects a desire to implement proper guardrails and safety measures at the community level. She added that despite proposals in several states, a uniform national framework for AI infrastructure has yet to emerge.
The discussion also veered into online safety, where Garber addressed the scrutiny surrounding Snapchat due to criminal investigations involving child predators and the recommendation of adult content to young users. Garber emphasized that while Snapchat has faced legal consequences for its role, parents must remain the first line of defense. She advised parents to actively monitor privacy settings, particularly location sharing, and to engage in open discussions with their children about online safety before allowing social media use. The common thread, according to Garber, is the absence of comprehensive national standards for both AI infrastructure and online platforms, shifting major regulatory decisions to states, companies, and families.