Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Require Social Media Warning Labels

NEW YORK – 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 called for 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 the 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 the fight to protect Americans, especially young adults, online and to address concerns with social media companies. In June 2024, nation-leading legislation advanced by Attorney General James to combat addictive social media feeds and protect kids online was signed into law in New York. In March 2024, Attorney General James led a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general in urging Meta to address the rise of Facebook and Instagram account takeovers by scammers and frauds. In October 2023, Attorney General James and a bipartisan coalition of 32 attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit against Meta for harming young people’s mental health and contributing to the youth mental health crisis. In October 2022, Attorney General James investigated and released a report on the role online platforms played in the Buffalo mass shooting. In May 2021, Attorney General James joined a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general urging Facebook to abandon plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13. 

Attorney General James co-led today’s letter alongside the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, and Tennessee. Also signing the letter are the attorneys general of 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, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Nathaniel Kosslyn of the Bureau of Internet and Technology, which is led by Bureau Chief Kim Berger and Deputy Bureau Chief Clark Russell. The Bureau of Internet and Technology is a part of the Division of Economic Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.