NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James is part of a coalition of 42 attorneys general 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.

“Young people across our country are struggling, and these addictive social media algorithms are only making this mental health crisis worse,” James said. “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, 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.

In June 2024, nation-leading legislation advanced by James to combat addictive social media feeds and protect children online was signed into law in New York. In March 2024, 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, 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, James investigated and released a report on the role online platforms played in the Buffalo mass shooting.