Nearly 40 states back surgeon general’s social media warning labels
A coalition of 42 state and territory attorneys general is calling on Congress to pass regulation requiring warning labels on social media platforms. In a letter on Monday, the attorneys general wrote that the warning labels will bring attention to the “inherent risks” social platforms pose to children.
US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy first proposed the warning labels in June as part of a plan to avert the “mental health crisis” affecting young people. Attorneys general from a significant majority of states, including New York, California, Florida, Oregon, Michigan, and others, are writing in support of the measure, saying the move would help “protect future generations of Americans.” All told, the letter is signed by 39 state AGs as well as the attorneys general of American Samoa, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands.
The letter cites research linking social media use to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in young people, along with studies that suggest social platforms disrupt children’s sleep with “irresistible algorithmic recommendations, infinite scrolling, and a constant stream of notifications” to keep them “relentlessly engaged on the platform.” The labels proposed by the surgeon general would be similar to the ones already used for alcohol and tobacco products.
But some of the underlying research on the effects of social media has been disputed, and these labels would mark one of the rare times that platforms for speech and communication have been required to post warnings to their users — with the exception of state-level rules demanding adult sites add unproven health notices about pornography.
“A surgeon general’s warning on social media platforms, though not sufficient to address the full scope of the problem, would be one consequential step toward mitigating the risk of harm to youth,” the attorneys general said. “We urge Congress to consider such measures and continue the search for innovative solutions to protect our children in the face of emerging technologies.”
Over the past year or so, lawmakers across the US have ramped up efforts to protect children online, with the Senate passing the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) in July. On a local level, states like New York have banned “addictive” feeds for teens, while Florida will require parental consent for kids under 16 to sign up to social platforms starting next year. Many of the state-level rules have been challenged in court and some have been temporarily blocked; most recently, a Texas judge said states couldn’t demand social media platforms prevent minors from seeing “harmful” content about topics like suicide.
Dozens of states also sued Meta last year over claims Facebook and Instagram rolled out features to exploit and manipulate young people. Other states, including Utah, have filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging the platform’s “addictive nature” has harmed kids.