Stop the Scroll Act
The Stop the Scroll Act would require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), with the concurrence of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (acting through the Surgeon General), to require mental health warning labels on “covered platforms” (social media platforms and anonymous content sharing platforms). The labels must appear every time a user in the United States accesses the platform, unless the user exits or explicitly acknowledges potential harm and chooses to continue; if they continue after acknowledgment, the label must reappear after each hour of continuous use. The label must warn about potential negative mental health impacts and provide access to federal resources such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Implementation must occur within 180 days of enactment, with ongoing regulatory review every five years. Enforcement would be handled by the FTC, with additional state-level enforcement possible by state attorneys general, including civil penalties. The act also provides extraterritorial reach and would take effect one year after enactment.
Key Points
- 1Covered platforms cover both traditional social media platforms and anonymous content sharing platforms (websites or apps that don’t require registration).
- 2The warning label must be clearly visible, cannot be hidden behind hyperlinks or terms, and cannot be disabled by users (except under specific conditions where a user exits or acknowledges risk and continues).
- 3The user must encounter the label each time they access the platform in the U.S.; after acknowledgment and continued use, the label must reappear after each hour of ongoing use.
- 4The label must warn about potential negative mental health impacts and provide links to or access to federal resources, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
- 5Regulation and enforcement: FTC enforces the label as an unfair or deceptive practice; states’ attorneys general can sue on behalf of their residents; penalties are based on duration or number of users lacking the label, subject to inflation-adjusted caps; extraterritorial jurisdiction applies.