Governor Tim Walz has signed the law this year, which obliges the sites to provide users with the warning label from July 2026. Social media companies say they will seek changes or try to block the application, but supporters say that pop-ups could encourage people, in particular children, to be more thought of on their online time.
“I think the The evidence is very clear This use of social media is linked to depression, anxiety, loneliness, self -control, suicidal ideas, food disorders, all kinds of terrible mental health problems, “explains the representative of the democratic state Zack Stephenson, the main sponsor of the law.”
Stephenson says that labels, although they are not yet written, will be warning for tobacco or alcohol products, and it is at the Minnesota Ministry of Health to decide what they say.
“If you expected the big tobacco to make cigarettes less addictive in the 1950s and 60s, you would have been cruelly wrong,” said Stephenson. “Dependence was their business model. And the same is true for Big Tech. “
A national burden of the Biden era
Under President Biden, the former American surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for Warning labels To be placed on sites last year. He underlined Research indicating that prolonged social media Use can lead to worse mental health results, higher rates of diet and body image problems in children and adolescents. Minnesota is the first state to adopt legislation requiring this type of labels. New York could soon follow.
In Minnesota, the fact of not adding the labels could be welcomed by investigation and a civil sanction imposed by the attorney general of the State. Social media platforms must also provide resources to treat unfavorable results of mental health – such as contacts for the Hotline 988 suicide and the crisis, something that defenders of suicide prevention fought.
Although the warning labels are not the complete solution to protect young people online, they serve as a really powerful tool to educate the public, which makes them realize that things that take place on social networks represent an important danger to the security of their children, “explains Erich Mische, CEO of awareness -raising votes to suicide of education, or except.
Tech regrows
The bill was confronted with an opposition from the Capitol Republicans who said that this could limit freedom of expression, but others of the party supported the proposal, claiming that the impacts of social media on young people need a more difficult response.
Netchoice, an industrial group that represents social media companies, says that it will ask the legislators to find the law over the next year. If it fails, Netchoice says it could continue the state.
“I think, I think, force companies to disparage themselves essentially in a way that they would choose otherwise,” explains Paul Taske, co -director of the group’s dispute center. “We had courts Throughout the country, say that you cannot oblige private actors to act as a spokesperson for the State to promulgate the favorite state message. »»
Netchoice continued the State on a law which came into force earlier this month, forcing social media companies to inform users of how their algorithms recommend content. Taske says that rather than obtaining companies to display warning labels, the State should educate minnesotans on potential problems for young people who choose to use the sites.
“The government has the ability to use its own voice, its own intimidation pulpit, its own pedestal to try to get your message across,” says Taske. “The problem here is that he tries to force private companies to broadcast a message for this.”
Unless a successful legal challenge, warning labels will take effect on July 1, 2026.
If you or someone you know are considering suicide, call or send an SMS 988 to reach the hotline of suicide and the crisis.
