'Warning for kids': California to have tobacco-style disclaimers on social media? What the law proposes

Lawmakers in California have passed a bill that would require public health warning labels on popular social media apps when used by children, amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on youth mental health.

The legislation, AB 56, mandates that platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram display a warning drawn from a 2023 surgeon general report, which found that social media “can have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”

The warning, styled like tobacco labels, will appear for 10 seconds when a child logs in and repeat for 30 seconds after three hours of use, as reported by The Independent.

Governor Gavin Newsom has until October 13 to decide whether to sign the law.

The bill was introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan of the San Francisco Bay Area, with support from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

“We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis,” Bauer-Kahan said, describing the legislation as an urgent response to the issue.

Minnesota became the first state to pass a similar law in July, with warnings applied to all users, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul is considering similar legislation.

Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy also advocated for such policies in a 2024 op-ed for The New York Times, comparing social media regulation to other emergency health measures, including food recalls and grounding defective aircraft.

In the op-ed, Murthy asked, “Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes, or food?”

He added that these harms do not result from a lack of willpower or parenting, but are the outcome of deploying powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency, or accountability.

Following the publication of his op-ed, 42 state attorneys general endorsed the proposal.

Supporters of the labels argue they are essential to alert social media users to potential risks such as anxiety, depression and negative body image.

“Social media companies have demonstrated an unwillingness to tackle the mental health crisis, instead digging in deeper into harnessing addictive features and harmful content for the sake of profits,” Bonta said in a press release supporting the legislation last year,” Bonta said in a press release.

He added that “warning labels alone are not a panacea, but they are another tool in the toolbox to address the growing mental health crisis and protect future generations of children.”