Attorney General Alan Wilson: Protect Children From Harms of Social Media

South Carolina 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.

Wilson said states have the power to protect children from the harms posed by social media. He added 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,” 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.

In addition to Wilson, 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.