U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Mursi published an op-ed in June calling for social media to carry health warning labels similar to those that appear on cigarettes and other tobacco products, and 42 attorneys general have now written an open letter to Congress in support of Mursi’s plan.
“This universal problem requires a federal response, and while the Surgeon General’s warning about social media platforms falls short of addressing the full extent of the problem, it would be an important step toward reducing the risk of harm to young people,” the groups’ letter read. “Not only would the warning highlight the unique risks that social media platforms currently pose to young people, it would complement other efforts to encourage attention, research, and investment in the oversight of social media platforms.”
Nearly every state attorney general has signed the letter, with the only pending signatures being Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas and West Virginia. The attorneys general of American Samoa, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands also signed.
The Attorney General cited the recently passed Senate Children’s Online Safety Act and the Children and Youth Online Privacy Protection Act as other important measures to protect young people’s mental health. These measures have undergone multiple attempts to get to a floor vote in the Senate, and it is unclear whether they will have enough support to pass in the House.
