Attorney General Alan Wilson of South Carolina has joined a coalition of 29 states in filing a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Virginia’s law requiring age verification for social media users. The move comes as concerns grow about the impact of social media on children and adolescents.
“Our children are growing up in the Wild West of the digital age,” Attorney General Wilson said. “While Big Tech turns a blind eye, children are exposed daily to harmful and dangerous content on social media.”
The amicus brief argues that technology companies such as Meta should not be protected by the First Amendment from accountability regarding their platforms’ effects on young users. Over the past 15 years, rates of adolescent depression have more than doubled, with increases also seen in anxiety, low self-esteem, and eating disorders among children.
Testimony presented to Congress revealed that over 25% of girls aged 13 to 15 have received unwanted sexual advances on Instagram.
“We have laws in place to prevent children from accessing dangerous online content,” General Wilson continued. “It is imperative that we continue to protect children in a fast-moving digital and artificial intelligence era.”
Wilson joined attorneys general from Florida, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming in filing the brief.
As South Carolina’s chief prosecutor and legal counsel according to the official website, Attorney General Wilson oversees criminal matters and consumer protection efforts across the state. The office collaborates with law enforcement agencies and provides victim support services while enforcing regulations related to securities and public safety.
The Attorney General’s office maintains transparency through published updates and operates statewide as detailed online.
You can read the brief here.
