Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general, is calling on lawmakers to pass legislation requiring a U.S. surgeon general warning on all algorithm-driven social media platforms. Raoul and the coalition issued a letter to Congress amid growing scrutiny of social media companies for their role in generational harm to young people’s mental health.
“Our children should be aware that social media platforms utilize features to make their platforms more addictive to young people. These algorithm-driven platforms can interfere with sleep and education, enable cyberbullying and contribute to depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and thoughts of self-harm,” Raoul said. “I am committed to holding responsible actors accountable for putting profits ahead of mental health and well-being of our children.”
In the letter, Raoul and the coalition highlight growing bodies of research that link young people’s use of social media platforms to psychological harm, including depression, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts in children and teens. The attorneys general also note how platforms feature irresistible algorithm recommendations, infinite scrolling and a constant stream of notifications that are designed to keep kids relentlessly engaged on the platforms, even at the expense of taking breaks, engaging in other activities or sleeping.
This is Raoul’s latest action to hold social media platforms accountable for the harm they have caused young people. In 2023, Raoul joined a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc. (Meta), the company that owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, for its harmful business practices targeting children. Earlier this year, Raoul led a bipartisan coalition calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to update and strengthen the rules technology companies must follow under the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Despite these efforts to address the harms caused by social media platforms, Raoul and the attorneys general say the need for federal action is clear. The coalition said in the letter that more action is necessary because “social media platforms have demonstrated an unwillingness to fix the problem on their own.”
Joining Raoul in submitting the letter are attorneys general of Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, 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 U.S Virgin Islands Virginia Washington Wisconsin Wyoming