For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Contact: Nazneen Ahmed
919-716-0060

(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein and a bipartisan group of attorneys general urged Congress to pass legislation requiring a U.S. Surgeon General warning on all social media platforms that use an algorithm.

“Social media companies use algorithms to hook children on apps that may harm them or expose them to inappropriate content and other dangers,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “We put warning labels on tobacco products so young people understand that they are dangerous – we also need those labels on social media.”

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 – such as TikTok and Instagram – feature irresistible algorithmic recommendations, infinite scrolling, and a constant stream of notifications designed to keep kids relentlessly engaged on the platforms, even at the expense of taking breaks, engaging in other activities, or sleeping. Social media can also expose children to content that depicts abuse and disturbing sexual images, which can warp their understanding of healthy and safe relationships.

Youth online safety is a top priority for Attorney General Stein, especially as middle school students spend about five and a half hours and high school students spend on average eight and a half hours online a day. Last year, Attorney General Stein and 41 other bipartisan attorneys general sued Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, for allegedly designing their social media platforms to hook children and teenagers and deceiving the public by claiming that these platforms were safe and suitable for young users. He is also investigating TikTok. Despite these efforts to address the harms of social media platforms on our kids mental health, Attorney General Stein knows the need for federal action is clear.

The attorneys general say more action is necessary because “social media platforms have demonstrated an unwillingness to fix the problem on their own.”

Joining Attorney General Stein in sending this letter are the attorneys general from Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

A copy of the letter is available here.

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