Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for tobacco-style warning labels on social media platforms, igniting support from various quarters on Monday. However, without the power to implement such measures independently, Murthy must appeal to Congress to take action.
“It’s essentially all the administration can do at this point. They can make an announcement, but achieving bipartisan support is unlikely,” stated Nu Wexler, a tech policy consultant with experience at Google, Twitter, and Facebook.
As concerns over children’s social media usage have intensified, President Joe Biden has repeatedly leveraged the issue to push for national technology regulations. Despite these efforts, legislative progress has stalled, with numerous proposals and bills failing to advance in the House and Senate. Biden has highlighted children’s safety in his State of the Union addresses and established a task force on kids’ online health and safety last May. Murthy has also previously addressed online safety for children, issuing a health advisory outlining potential risks.
Murthy’s advisory last year inspired the bipartisan Kids Off Social Media Act, though the bill has yet to progress in the current Congress. A White House spokesperson noted that while President Biden was not involved in Murthy’s recent op-ed, he supports holding social media platforms accountable for their role in the youth mental health crisis.
In his op-ed in The New York Times, Murthy outlined a series of recommendations for social media safety legislation, a topic that has long frustrated advocates and policymakers. Efforts to draft legislation have faced resistance from the tech industry and disagreements among lawmakers about regulation severity and the need for federal preemption of state laws.
Several members of Congress involved in tech safety either did not respond to Murthy’s call for warning labels or promoted their own bills. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), key proponents of kids’ online safety, used Murthy’s op-ed to advocate for their Kids Online Safety Act. This bill, which aims to force tech platforms to prevent the spread of harmful content, has yet to receive a floor vote despite support from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and nearly 70 cosponsors. Opposition from tech and free speech groups remains a significant hurdle.
Murthy emphasized the unique credibility of a Surgeon General’s warning. “People recognize the Surgeon General’s warning from alcohol and tobacco products,” he said. “Our office has a long-standing trust on public health issues.”
Despite these high-profile efforts, some observers remain skeptical about immediate legislative success. Alix Fraser, director of the Council for Responsible Social Media at the nonprofit Issue One, noted, “Do I believe this will happen in short order—no.” However, Fraser is optimistic about the growing momentum for kids’ online safety.
Some state-level initiatives to regulate social media use among minors have emerged, though many are still in nascent stages or facing legal challenges. Colorado, for instance, recently passed a law requiring social media companies to notify users under 18 about the mental and physical impacts of prolonged usage, starting in 2026.
Murthy’s proposal may inspire further state-level actions. Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, plans to advocate for warning labels in California in the absence of federal action, citing the pervasive youth mental health crisis.
However, tech lobbying groups like NetChoice argue that warning labels oversimplify a complex issue and infringe on free speech. “A warning label assumes every child is the same,” said Carl Szabo, general counsel for NetChoice. “In reality, each child faces unique challenges.”
The push for social media warning labels underscores the ongoing struggle to balance regulation and innovation in the digital age, with advocates pressing for swift action to protect vulnerable populations.