Gov. Kathy Hochul signaled Monday her office would send a letter to the social media company Facebook raising concerns over the spread of misinformation regarding New York's abortion laws.
"We have a letter going to Facebook today," Hochul said during a news conference and rally in New York City over reproductive rights. "We'll see what they do with it."
Hochul's letter comes as the issue surrounding abortion rights is heating up across the country following the U.S. Supreme Court upholding a law that places limits on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. At the same time, New York's own abortion laws, including a measure meant to strengthen access in the state approved in 2019, have led to heated debates.
"I just want to make sure there's clarity, there's transparency," Hochul said of the concerns with Facebook and social media information. "We are looking at the regulations and want to make sure they're crystal clear."
Hochul was among several state and federal officials who gathered at the Women's Rights Pioneers Monument in Central Park on Monday to outline the steps New York is taking to preserve access to abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling. Hochul said women in New York shouldn't take reproductive services acccess for granted.
"All of sudden that sense of security we had in our nation has been ripped apart," she said. "That security blanket is no longer."
Hochul's administration, meanwhile, also plans to have state agencies launch a public service announcement for New Yorkers and visitors on abortion as well as create a patient bill of rights for women outlining what access to services they have in the state.
"It will be in clear language," Hochul said, "and in languages people understand."