The labels would require congressional approval. And Murthy's comparison to cigarette warnings might be misplaced.
Hi! Who says the movies are dead? Disney's "Inside Out 2" took home $295 million at the global box office over the weekend, a record opening for an animated movie.
In today's big story, we're looking at the surgeon general suggesting warning labels for social media. (Let us know which side you are on.)
What's on deck:
But first, follow at your own risk.
If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.
Social media has gotten so bad that the country's top doctor is intervening.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General, wrote an op-ed for The New York Times calling for social media to come with a warning label like the ones you find on cigarette packs, writes Business Insider's Geoff Weiss.
In his piece, Murthy said social media is a key culprit of the mental health crisis young people are facing. A warning label reminding people it is "associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents" could help the problem, he argued.
It's not something Murthy can install on his own. The labels would require congressional approval. And Murthy's comparison to cigarette warnings might be misplaced, writes BI's Katie Notopoulos, who suggests explicit lyrics on music might be a better fit.
Murthy has taken shots at social media before. Last year he called for legislation to protect young people from harassment, abuse, and exploitation, and more transparency from tech companies.
Major social media companies remained largely silent regarding Murthy's suggestion, but the tech lobbying group Chamber of Progress was quick to respond.
"Putting a warning label on online speech isn't just scientifically unsound. It's at odds with the constitutional right to free speech," group CEO Adam Kovacevich said in a statement.
Vote here to let us know whether you favor a warning label.
Murthy's recommendation comes at a unique time for social media.
If the US ban on TikTok can survive the courts, it will be a watershed moment for the industry. (Yes, TikTok's ties to China muddy the waters, but a successful ban would still mean lawmakers shutting down a popular app used by millions of Americans.)
It's not just TikTok. Generative AI adds more fuel to the misinformation fire social media platforms have been battling for years.
AI tools make it easier for bad actors to fabricate stories, images, and videos that can influence people. And it's all happening in the lead-up to a contentious presidential election. There are also concerns surrounding AI-generated avatars' impact on influencers, writes BI's Dan Whateley.
And yet, things have never been better for some companies.
Meta, the godfather of social media, is perhaps the best example. On January 31, CEO Mark Zuckerberg, along with a handful of other tech CEOS, was grilled by Congress during a hearing on online child sexual exploitation.
At one point, Zuckerberg was pressured to physically stand up and face families affected by online abuse. In the long battle to force tech CEOs to get their companies in line, it felt like a potential turning point.
More than four months later, though, the only thing that's seemed to change is Meta's stock price. The company's share price is up more than 28% since that contentious hearing.
The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. George Glover, reporter, in London. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.