New York Attorney General Letitia James today co-led a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in urging Congress to implement warning labels on social media platforms as recommended by the United States Surgeon General. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional authorization, would serve as a regular reminder of social media’s significant mental health harms for adolescents. This letter is part of Attorney General James’ ongoing leadership in the effort to protect children from emerging technologies, particularly addictive algorithms employed by social media companies.
“Young people across our country are struggling, and these addictive social media algorithms are only making this mental health crisis worse,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “New York has led the nation in our efforts to protect kids from online harm, but everyone needs to know the risk associated with these social media platforms. The Surgeon General’s recommendation is a strong first step in that direction, and I hope warning labels will be implemented swiftly to raise more awareness about this issue.”
In a letter to Congress, Attorney General James and the coalition echoed United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s June 2024 call for a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, noting that such a warning would both highlight the inherent risks of social media while also complementing ongoing efforts to spur research and investments in the oversight of platforms.
In light of social media platforms’ unwillingness to fix the problem on their own, the 42 attorneys general underscored the need for federal action to combat the growing mental health crisis. The coalition also urged Congress to consider further measures to protect children from potential harms of social media, recognizing the recent Senate passage of the Kids Online Safety Act.
Attorney General James has been a national leader in efforts to protect Americans, especially young adults, online and address concerns with social media companies. In June 2024, legislation advanced by Attorney General James aimed at combating addictive social media feeds and protecting kids online was signed into law in New York. In March 2024, she led a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general urging Meta to address account takeovers by scammers on Facebook and Instagram. In October 2023, she joined another bipartisan coalition filing a federal lawsuit against Meta for harming young people’s mental health. Her other initiatives include investigating online platforms' roles in events like the Buffalo mass shooting and opposing plans for an Instagram version for children under age 13.
Attorney General James co-led today’s letter alongside attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, and Tennessee. Also signing were attorneys general from Alabama; American Samoa; Arkansas; Connecticut; Delaware; District of Columbia; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Mexico; North Carolina; North Dakota; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota U.S Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Wisconsin Wyoming
This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Nathaniel Kosslyn of the Bureau of Internet and Technology under Bureau Chief Kim Berger and Deputy Bureau Chief Clark Russell within Division Economic Justice overseen Chief Deputy Attorney Chris D’Angelo First Deputy Jennifer Levy