A coalition of 42 state and territory attorneys general is calling on Congress to pass a regulation requiring warning labels on social media platforms. In a letter Monday, the attorneys general wrote that the warning labels should raise awareness of the “inherent risks” that social platforms pose to children.
U.S. 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 large majority of states, including New York, California, Florida, Oregon, Michigan and others, wrote in support of the measure, saying the move would help “protect future generations of Americans.” In total, the letter was signed by 39 state attorneys general, as well as the attorneys general of American Samoa, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The letter cites research linking social media use to anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts in young people, as well as studies suggesting that social platforms disrupt children's sleep through “irresistible algorithmic recommendations, endless scrolling and a constant stream of notifications” to keep them “relentlessly on the platform.” The labels proposed by the health secretary would be similar to those already used for alcohol and tobacco products.
However, some of the underlying research on the effects of social media is controversial, and these labels would be one of the rare examples of speech and communication platforms being required to send warnings to their users – with the exception of government regulations that require adult sites to add unproven health warnings about pornography.
“While a warning from the Secretary of Health and Human Services on social media platforms is not enough to capture the full scope of the problem, it would be a logical step to mitigate the risk of youth exposure,” the attorneys general said. “We urge Congress to consider such measures and continue to seek innovative solutions to protect our children in the face of new technologies.”