Critics push back on social media warning labels

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — In a one-on-one interview, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy described his vision for what social media warning labels could look like.

“What we fundamentally need to prioritize is making the platforms themselves safer,” Dr. Murthy said.

Murthy is calling for a warning label on social media platforms, similar to labels on alcohol and cigarettes.

“And the warning label would be part of our effort to make sure that parents know what we know in public health and medicine, which is that social media use is associated with mental health harms for kids,” Murthy said.

But what would a digital warning label look like?

“It’s a message that would pop up regularly or be displayed regularly, when people used their social media account,” Dr. Murthy said.

Murthy said how often this warning pops up and the appearance and style of it, would be determined during a testing phase, approved by Congress.

Critics, like Carl Szabo with NetChoice, argue the government should not be in charge of deciding what’s appropriate for kids to view on social media.

“Every child is different; every family is different. And the views of those families and children are basically only known to the parents,” Szabo said.

Szabo encourages the surgeon general to push for digital literacy in schools and to “encourage parents to take the devices away rather than try to control what teens do and replace parents with government.”

However, Dr. Murthy pushed back saying this has nothing to do with restricting free speech.

“It’s giving people information. It’s not telling people, you know, that they can and can’t use something. It’s warning them about the risks that are associated with social media use,” Murthy said.

Dr. Murthy says he’s optimistic Congress will get on board with his plans.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.