42 AGs Push for Social Media Warning Labels

Concerned about the impact on children's mental health, the attorneys general of 42 states and U.S. territories are calling on Congress to implement Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's proposal to mandate that social media platforms carry warning labels.

The group sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Monday seeking legislation to that end.

"Young people are facing a mental health crisis, which is fueled in large part by social media," the letter read. "As Surgeon General Murthy recognized, this generational harm demands immediate action. By mandating a surgeon general's warning on algorithm-driven social media platforms, Congress can help abate this growing crisis and protect future generations of Americans."

In June, Murthy called for a surgeon general's warning label to be placed on social media platforms, similar to those that appear on tobacco and alcohol products. He pointed to studies that show tobacco warning labels can impact user behavior.

The country's top law enforcement officials acknowledged that they "sometimes disagree about important issues," but said they all share "an abiding concern for the safety of the kids in our jurisdictions." Algorithm-driven social media platforms threaten the safety of these vulnerable users, they say.

"A growing body of research links young people's use of those social media platforms to a variety of serious psychological harms, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation," they wrote. "Algorithm-driven social media use also interferes with adolescents' daily life by chronically disrupting their sleep with irresistible algorithmic recommendations, infinite scrolling, and a constant stream of notifications designed to keep kids relentlessly engaged on the platform."

The letter details legal action the attorneys general have taken at the state level to hold social media companies accountable, as well as legislative efforts, but they argue the problem "requires federal action."

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 officials said.

They added that the warning could be combined with other efforts to protect the well-being of the nation's children.

"This problem will not solve itself and the social media platforms have demonstrated an unwillingness to fix the problem on their own," the attorneys general wrote. "Therefore, we urge Congress to act by requiring warnings on algorithm-driven social media platforms, as recommended by the Surgeon General."

Every state attorney general signed the letter except those from Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, and West Virginia.

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