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Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee to Hold Third Hearing

ATLANTA (October 2, 2025)—On Wednesday, October 8, the Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee, co-chaired by Sen. Sally Harrell (D–Atlanta) and Sen. Shawn Still (R–Johns Creek), will hold its third hearing which will focus on the potential harms of Artificial Intelligence and its use in AI-driven chatbots.

EVENT DETAILS:                      

  • Date: October 8, 2025
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Where: 450 State Capitol, 206 Washington St SW, Atlanta, GA, 30334
  • Open to the Public: The event is open to the public. The committee meeting will be live-streamed on the Senate website here.

ABOUT THE MEETING:         

The bipartisan Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee, created through Senate Resolution 431, will evaluate online platforms’ (i.e., social media, gaming, AI, etc.) impact on children. The study committee will also make formal recommendations for state action at its final meeting. The study committee will partner with parents, policy experts, representatives from state agencies and private organizations to determine how online protections may be improved and strengthened to ensure safer online experiences.

The study committee’s first two meetings examined how online platforms can be addictive and harmful to young people, as well as specific state policies that can result in safer online experiences. The third meeting will take a deeper dive into the potential dangers of the use of AI-driven chatbots in online platforms used by minors. 

You can watch the replay of the study committee’s meetings on the Georgia State Senate YouTube page here.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

We kindly request that members of the media confirm their attendance in advance by contacting  SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

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Sen. Sally Harrell represents the 40th Senate District which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett County. She may be reached by phone at (404) 463-2260 via email at sally.harrell@senate.ga.gov.

Sen. Shawn Still represents the 48th Senate District, which includes portions of Fulton, Forsyth and Gwinnett counties. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-7127 or by email at Shawn.Still@senate.ga.gov.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

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Sen. Tim Bearden Chairs First NextGen 911 Subcommittee Meeting

ATLANTA (September 30, 2025)—On Thursday, September 25, Sen. Tim Bearden (R–Carrollton) chaired the first meeting of the Senate Committee on Public Safety’s Subcommittee on NextGen 911. During the meeting, Chairman Bearden and committee members heard testimony from members of the 911 community regarding the costs and implementation of NextGen 911, a digital internet protocol-based system set to replace the nation’s current analog 911 infrastructure.

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Senate Special Committee on Investigations to Hold Meeting

ATLANTA (September 29, 2025) — On Friday, October 3, at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Special Committee on Investigations, chaired by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R–Athens), will meet.

EVENT DETAILS:                      

  • Date: Friday, October 3, 2025
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Location: 341 State Capitol, 206 Washington St SW, Atlanta, GA, 30334
  • Open to the Public: The event is open to the public. The committee meeting will be live-streamed on the Senate website here.
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Sen. Donzella James Holds Committee Meeting to Discuss HOA and Rent Regulations

ATLANTA (September 23, 2025) — On September 18, Sen. Donzella James (D–Atlanta), as the Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Urban Affairs, held a meeting to discuss rent control and homeowners’ association (HOA) regulations. The committee also heard from concerned Georgians about problems they have faced in their community associations, particularly regarding rent, fines, liens and foreclosures.

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Sen. Josh McLaurin Releases Statement Addressing Imminent Deportation Ruling Regarding Journalist Mario Guevara 

ATLANTA (September 19, 2025)—On Friday, September 19, Sen. Josh McLaurin (D–Sandy Springs) held a press conference and released a statement following a ruling by an immigration appeals court to dismiss Atlanta journalist Mario Guevara’s case and mandate his deportation from the United States.

“Today, an immigration agency that takes orders from the Trump administration reversed 13 years of legal proceedings to unilaterally deport journalist Mario Guevara. This is yet another example of the Trump administration’s pervasive attempts to stifle journalists and media from doing honest reporting or speaking unfavorably about the administration. This is one of the most dangerous periods for free speech in American history.”

Guevara, who has lawfully resided in the United States for over 20 years, was detained by ICE on June 18 while wearing a press badge. Although all charges against him have since been dropped, he remains in ICE custody and is imminently facing deportation to his home country of El Salvador. Guevara has developed a large following in Atlanta and gained national recognition for his reporting on immigration issues.

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Sen. Josh McLaurin represents the 14th Senate District, which includes a portion of Fulton County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 463-4228 or by email at josh.mclaurin@senate.ga.gov.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.