California lawmakers are pushing for a new law, AB 56, that would require social media platforms to add warning labels about mental health risks. Attorney General Rob Bonta and Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan introduced the bill, saying users should know how these platforms, with their addictive features and harmful content, might affect mental health.
The idea is inspired by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who suggested in a 2023 essay that social media could be harmful, especially for kids and teens. He noted that spending over three hours a day on social media doubles the risk of mental health problems. Murthy compared these warnings to those on tobacco products, which have successfully changed behavior.
AB 56 doesn’t yet explain exactly what these labels would say or how they’d appear. It mentions earlier laws like the Cyberbullying Protection Act, which required platforms to clearly explain how users can report cyberbullying or violent posts. These past examples might guide how AB 56 is implemented.
This bill follows an open letter from 42 attorneys general, including Bonta, urging Congress to require Surgeon General-style warning labels for social media. While federal action would take longer, California’s bill could happen sooner and serve as a model for other states.
California’s approach is narrower than a Texas law struck down earlier this year that aimed to block teens from harmful content entirely. Mental health risks are just one issue; others, like online surveillance, remain major concerns. Still, AB 56 could be a step toward making social media safer for young users.
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