Overview
- The Department of Education began blocking student access to YouTube on school‑issued Chromebooks and iPads on Sept. 9 so students cannot reach the platform at school or at home.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the DOE announced a one‑year pause on student‑facing generative AI through grade 8 and recommended screen‑time caps of 30 minutes for grades 3–5 and 45 minutes for grades 6–8.
- The DOE is keeping narrow exceptions: teachers may assign videos through Google Classroom for lessons and required digital assessments such as three annual reading/math checks and state tests remain exempt.
- City Council members pressed the DOE at a Sept. 15 oversight hearing for firmer mandates, urging bans on student‑led YouTube, gamified learning and one‑to‑one devices for younger grades.
- The policy shift follows a comptroller audit that found weak tracking of roughly 511,000 pandemic‑purchased iPads and distribution errors, and city officials say they will monitor for and act against workarounds while a committee drafts permanent rules.