A new bill in California would propose the inclusion of warning labels on social media platforms.

California is considering new legislation, proposed by Attorney General Rob Bonta and Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, that would require social media companies to include warning labels about mental health risks on their platforms. Attorney General Bonta has pointed out that social media has "exploited addictive features and harmful content for profit," and believes users deserve to be informed about the potential effects of these platforms on their mental health.

Although the current bill, known as AB 56, does not clearly specify what information these warnings should contain or their format, it mentions prior legislation such as the Cyber Bullying Protection Act and the Online Violence Prevention Act as possible references. These previous laws required platforms to disclose their procedures for reporting cyberbullying and violence in their terms of service, ensuring that both users and non-users could be aware of the reporting methods.

This initiative follows an open letter signed by 42 attorneys general, including Bonta, urging Congress to require surgeon general warning labels on social media. The U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, had proposed a similar idea in an essay in the Opinion section of The New York Times in June. Although implementing a surgeon general warning label would require congressional action, it is considered that it could effectively change behaviors similar to what was achieved with tobacco products.

The growing concern about the impact of social media on children dates back to advice on Social Media and Youth Mental Health published by the U.S. Surgeon General in 2023. This advisory warned that social media use could pose a "profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents," noting that those who spend more than three hours a day on these platforms are twice as likely to experience mental health issues. While a warning label will not completely resolve the situation, and social media is not the sole cause of the problems faced by minors, its implementation could be a step toward change.

A bill in Texas that attempted to require social media to block teenagers from "harmful" content was dismissed a few months ago, but requiring warning labels in California seems more feasible considering its legal history. However, the impacts on mental health are just one of the risks that young people face online, as there are also concerns about mass surveillance, according to the Federal Trade Commission.