With bipartisan unity on Capitol Hill, the Senate Commerce Committee voted today to advance the Stop the Scroll Act, a bill that would require social media companies to display mental health warning labels to users under 18.
The bill, spearheaded by Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.), mirrors the Surgeon General’s recent calls for tobacco-style warnings on digital platforms.
Under the proposed law, teenagers would encounter a mandatory pop-up box upon opening a social media app. This warning would outline the potential risks of anxiety, depression, and addiction associated with the platform, requiring the user to acknowledge the message before they can start scrolling.
Beyond just a warning, the bill mandates that these pop-ups provide direct links to mental health resources.
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“Every child deserves the chance to live their own personal American Dream, but our nation’s youth mental health crisis—fueled by the rise in social media—is getting in the way for far too many,” Senator Britt said following the vote. She noted that while Congress has more work to do regarding online safety, this committee approval represents a “step in the right direction.”
Senator Fetterman, who has been vocal about his own experiences with clinical depression, emphasized the urgency of the measure.
“I know firsthand what it’s like to experience mental health struggles and the dark space it can put you in,” Fetterman said. “Those same struggles many of our kids are facing, with plenty of evidence of addiction, anxiety, depression, and suicide rates increasingly directly linked to social media platforms.”
The movement to regulate social media has gained significant momentum following recent legal setbacks for tech giants.
Just last month, a New Mexico jury leveled a $375 million verdict against Meta for failing to protect children from predators. Within 24 hours of that ruling, a California jury also found Meta and Google liable for contributing to youth depression and anxiety.
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The Stop the Scroll Act is part of a broader legislative push by Senator Britt to tighten digital guardrails. Her recent efforts include “Sammy’s Law,” which would allow parents to use third-party software to monitor their children’s safety on social apps, and the “GUARD Act,” which aims to ban AI-powered “companions” for minors.
During her confirmation hearing in February, Dr. Casey Means, President Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General, signaled her support for such labels, praising the foundational work laid by her predecessors to protect teens in the digital age.
If the bill passes the full Senate, the exact language of the warnings would be determined by the Surgeon General, ensuring the labels cannot be hidden or obscured by the apps’ interfaces.
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