Stop the Scroll Act

This bill requires social media platforms and anonymous content sharing platforms to display a mental health warning label each time a user in the U.S. accesses the platform. The label must warn of potential negative mental health impacts and provide access to federal resources like the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The label can only disappear if the user exits the platform or acknowledges the risk and chooses to proceed, and it must reappear after each hour of continuous use. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), with the concurrence of the Secretary of Health and Human Services acting through the Surgeon General, must issue regulations within 180 days and review them every five years.

Sec. 3, Definitions: Defines key terms including "covered platform" (social media platforms as defined in existing law and anonymous content sharing platforms), "covered platform provider" (any person who provides, manages, operates, or controls a covered platform for commercial purposes), and "user" (anyone who registers, creates a profile, or otherwise accesses the platform).

Sec. 4, Warning label: Requires covered platform providers to display a mental health warning label each time a user accesses the platform while in the U.S. The label must warn of potential negative mental health impacts and provide access to federal resources. The label must disappear only if the user exits or acknowledges the risk and chooses to proceed, and must reappear after each hour of continuous use. Providers cannot include the label only through a hyperlink or in terms and conditions, cannot add extraneous information that obscures the label, and cannot allow users to disable it except as provided.

Sec. 5, Enforcement: Violations are treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the FTC Act. The FTC enforces the Act, including against nonprofit organizations and common carriers. State attorneys general may bring civil actions on behalf of residents for violations, with civil penalties calculated based on the number of days of noncompliance or affected users, multiplied by the maximum FTC penalty. The FTC must be notified before such actions and may intervene. If the FTC brings an action, states cannot bring a separate action based on the same facts. Extraterritorial jurisdiction applies if the violation involves an individual in the U.S. or any act in furtherance was committed in the U.S.

Sec. 6, Effective date: The Act takes effect one year after enactment.