On September 9, 42 state attorneys general joined a National Association of Attorneys General Letter to House and Senate leadership supporting legislation to establish a surgeon general’s warning label on algorithm-driven social medial platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. According to the state AGs, such platforms represent a serious public mental health threat, closely linked to youth depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
The Letter follows previous efforts taken by state attorneys general— including Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Utah—but advocates for federal intervention.
According to the AGs’ letter, a federally mandated surgeon general’s warning “would be a consequential step toward mitigating the risk of harm to youth.” The authors urge Congress to seriously consider this and other steps to protect youth in the face of emerging technologies, citing the Senate’s passage of the Kids Online Safety Act and Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act as evidencing bipartisan commitment to protecting youth online.
The following state attorneys general signed the Letter: Alabama, Arkansas, American Samoa, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.