Attorneys General Call for Congress to Require Surgeon General Warnings on Social Media Platforms

In a letter sent yesterday to Congress, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, who is also president of the National Association of Attorneys General ( NAAG), joined a broad, bipartisan coalition of 42 state attorneys general to urge lawmakers to pass legislation requiring a U.S. surgeon general warning on all algorithm-driven social media platforms. The letter comes amidst growing scrutiny of social media companies for their role in generational harm to young people’s mental health.

The letter comes on the heels of the National Association of Attorney General’s Presidential Initiative Summit, which was held in Portland, Oregon, last week. The Summit focused on AG Rosenblum’s presidential initiative for the year: America’s Youth: AG’s Looking Out for the Next Generation.

The attorneys general cited growing bodies of research that link young people’s use of these platforms to psychological harm, including depression, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts in kids and teens. They also note how platforms feature irresistible algorithmic 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.

“Last week we heard from experts from across the nation and across industry, academia and government. The message we heard was loud and clear: our youth face challenges we never had to contend with when we were young, and many of those challenges are amplified by the platforms, companies and features prevalent across social media. We attorneys general—the Peoples’ Attorneys for our country and its territories—strongly urge Congress to take the surgeon general’s proposed social media platform warnings seriously and hold tech companies to a higher standard of conduct and responsibility,” AG Rosenblum emphasized.

States are already taking action to hold platforms accountable for the harm they have caused young people. Last year, 45 states and the District of Columbia brought lawsuits against Meta, and many states are either investigating or actively suing TikTok in state court. Despite these efforts to address the harms caused by social media platforms, the attorneys general say the need for federal action is critical. 

The attorneys general say more action is necessary because, as the letter states, “social media platforms have demonstrated an unwillingness to fix the problem on their own.” By reaching the high level of support, the letter now constitutes formal policy of NAAG.

“I welcome the opportunity to testify before Congress in support of NAAG’s letter and policy, and strongly recommend Congress move with urgency on this consensus issue of youth safety and well-being,” Rosenblum added.