Attorney General Bird Fights to Curb Social Media Harm to Children

DES MOINES—Today, Attorney General Brenna Bird announced she joined coalitions of states and the District of Columbia in supporting Florida and Ohio laws that ban social media companies from using addictive practices on minors. Challenges to that law are pending before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh and Sixth Circuit. 

Studies show that excessive social media use negatively affects teenagers and younger children. As the attorneys general state, too much social media use “increases youth susceptibility to depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide. Social media companies know all this, too. Yet social media companies laced their products with highly addictive features like push notifications, autoplay, and infinite scroll that act like nicotine in tobacco or the design features of casinos meant to keep gamblers at the slots.”  

“As a mom and a prosecutor, I am committed to ending the predatory practices of social media companies that are hurting our kids,” said Attorney General Bird. “They must stop trading our children’s mental health for their own profit. I fully support every State’s right to protect children from the potentially life-altering effects of an unhealthy addiction to social media.”  

To support Florida before the Eleventh Circuit, Iowa joined the Utah-led bipartisan amicus brief with Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.   

To support Ohio before the Sixth Circuit, Iowa joined a Florida-led bipartisan amicus brief along with Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.  

Read the full briefs here and here.  

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For More Information:

Jen Green 

jen.green@ag.iowa.gov