In a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the attorneys general warned that “young people are facing a mental health crisis, which is fueled in large part by social media.”
“As Surgeon General Murthy recognized, this generational harm demands immediate action,” they wrote. “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 calls 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.
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.
In June, Murthy 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.
The Hill’s Sarah Fortinsky has more here.
