Attorney General Alan Wilson protects children from the harms of social media

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) –Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a 32-state friend-of-the-court brief in defense of a Louisiana law that protects children from the addictive harms of social media.

States have the power to protect children from the harms posed by social media. Platforms have brought in $11 billion per year from ads directed at children, including nearly $2 billion in profits from ads derived from users age 12 and under.

“As a father and Attorney General, I believe it is imperative that we protect children from online dangers,” Attorney General Wilson said. “We must adapt to this fast-paced digital age while securing a better future for our children.”

The amici states hold the position that state and federal governments have the power to protect children from the harms of social media, and that these protections are not a violation of the First Amendment rights of minors.

“Today’s children are growing up in the Wild West of the digital age,” Attorney General Wilson stated. “Children are being exposed to harmful and dangerous content daily on social media and we must take action.”

In addition to Attorney General Wilson, the attorneys general of the following states have also signed on to this Florida-led brief: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, District of Columbia, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Delaware, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

You can read the brief here.