Instagram Yields to Order; Congress Urged to Implement Warning Labels
Attorney James Empowered to Effect Change; Governor Hochul Committed to Make Change
New York Attorney General Letitia James yesterday co-led a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general are pushing for Congress to implement warning labels on social media platforms as called for by the United States Surgeon General.
“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.”
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.
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.