NYC teen arrested for ‘subway surfing’ days after 15-year-old’s death

NYC teen arrested for ‘subway surfing’

Police have arrested a 17-year-old boy for "subway surfing", just days after a 15-year-old boy was killed while attempting a similar stunt, police said.

NEW YORK - The NYPD has arrested a 17-year-old boy for "subway surfing", just days after a 15-year-old boy was killed while attempting a similar stunt on the Lower East Side, police said.

According to police, the 17-year-old was caught Wednesday night riding on top of a northbound 7 train at Queensboro Plaza Station.

He was later released to his guardians, police said.

15-year-old killed while subway surfing

A 15-year-old boy was killed while subway surfing on the Lower East Side, the NYPD said.

The 15-year-old boy was killed Monday on the Lower East Side, police said.

The teen was standing on top of a northbound J train when police said he struck his head on a structure on the Williamsburg Bridge and fell below the train.

Should subway surfing videos be banned from social media?

The MTA is calling on social media platforms to not post videos of people "subway surfing" a-top moving trains.

It comes as the MTA calls on social media platforms to not post videos of people doing "subway surfing."

MTA chairman Janno Lieber told WNYC Radio Wednesday morning that, "It's really a question of will and intention, and a sense of doing the right thing. I'm not interested in having a constitutional law debate. I am interested in protecting New York City kids who, for whatever reason, are encouraged, incentivized to do crazy stuff."

Social media and privacy attorney Pedram Tabibi said Lieber is not overreaching.

Tabobi said, "I do think there's a justification here to tell the platforms to be more conscientious of the content on them to remove harmful content."

Teen killed subway surfing on Lower East Side

A 15-year-old boy died after subway surfing on a J train on the Lower East Side.

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently hearing two cases regarding social media accountability.

In one, the family of a young student killed in the 2015 ISIS Paris attack is accusing Google-owned YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, among other social media outlets, of aiding and abetting terrorism by allowing ISIS videos to be posted.

At the center of the arguments is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides tech companies a legal shield over what their users post online.

But that law was passed in 1996 when the internet was in its infancy.

Teen loses arm in subway incident

A teenager lost an arm in an incident in a New York City subway station. A source told FOX 5 NY that the teen was trying to subway surf.

Nina Brown, a professor of Media and First Amendment law at Syracuse University, tells FOX 5 News that "the broad immunity that Section 230 provides social platforms has been something that both conservatives, liberals, everybody in between has had a gripe with."

The plaintiffs could have another option with Capitol Hill, should they fail at the high court.

Professor Brown adds that, "Congress is the place that should address this, though, especially with all of the advancements in AI and how this field is really changing. Congress is probably much better situated than the court to make changes if necessary in this area of the law."