In a bipartisan letter to Congress, Attorney General William Tong and 41 other attorneys general have urged lawmakers to pass legislation mandating a U.S. surgeon general warning on all algorithm-driven social media platforms. This appeal comes amid increasing scrutiny of social media companies for their impact on the mental health of young people.
The attorneys general referenced research linking the use of these platforms by young individuals to psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. They also highlighted how features like algorithmic recommendations, infinite scrolling, and constant notifications are designed to keep users, particularly children and teens, continuously engaged at the expense of breaks, other activities, or sleep.
“These dangerously addictive platforms and their algorithms and infinite scroll features—called behavioral cocaine by one developer—are designed to override self-control and maximize profits. Warning labels are one significant step we can and should take to educate families and protect kids. But we cannot stop there. In coordination with state attorneys general across the country, we will not hesitate to use the full weight of our enforcement authority to force this broken industry to respect the law and the safety and wellbeing of our children,” said Attorney General Tong.
States have taken significant actions against these platforms for the harm they have caused young people. Last year, 45 states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against Meta. Additionally, many states including Connecticut are investigating or actively suing TikTok in state courts. Despite these efforts, the attorneys general assert that federal action is necessary.
The coalition noted that “social media platforms have demonstrated an unwillingness to fix the problem on their own.”
The letter was co-led by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee. Joining them were attorneys general from Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho Illinois Indiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico North Carolina North Dakota Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Utah Vermont The U.S Virgin Islands Virginia Washington Wisconsin Wyoming.