42 states and territories press Congress on social media warning labels

The attorneys general of 42 states and U.S. territories joined together on Monday to call on Congress to pass legislation implementing Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s proposal to require official warnings on social media platforms.

“Young people are facing a mental health crisis, which is fueled in large part by social media,” read the letter, which was addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

“As Surgeon General Murthy recognized, this generational harm demands immediate action,” the letter continued. “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.”

The letter acknowledged the significance of the bipartisan call from nearly all of the states’ top law enforcement officials but stressed the importance that Congress take action to address what they described as an urgent and ubiquitous issue.

“As State Attorneys General, we sometimes disagree about important issues, but all of us share an abiding concern for the safety of the kids in our jurisdictions — and algorithm-driven social media platforms threaten that safety,” the letter read.

It pointed to other joint efforts that the states’ attorneys general have taken to hold social media companies accountable, as well as some legislative efforts on the state and local levels, but said they have not been sufficient.

“But unfortunately, industry has fiercely resisted these protections by suing to enjoin many of these laws,” the letter read, adding that “This ubiquitous problem requires federal action.”

“And 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 argued.

The attorneys general added that the effort could be coupled with other steps to help kids.

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

The letter was signed by the attorneys general of every state except for Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia

The Hill has reached out to the congressional leaders' offices for comment.

Murthy, in June, called for a surgeon general’s warning label to be placed on social media platforms, similar to those warning labels that appear on tobacco and alcohol products. He noted that studies have shown that warning labels on tobacco products can increase awareness and change a user’s behavior.

“It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents,” he wrote.

“A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe,” he added.