Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, following final passage of bipartisan legislation to combat youth social media addiction and regulate artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new requirements on social media companies regarding minor users, including parental consent for addictive algorithms, default privacy settings, and annual reporting obligations. It also establishes rules for AI chat bots and automated employment decision tools, including disclosure requirements and self-harm detection protocols.
The legislation requires social media companies to obtain parental consent for addictive algorithms and notifications targeting minors, implement default privacy and usage settings including barred late-night notifications, display mental health warning pop-ups to minor users, and submit annual reports on minor user data to the state. AI chat bot operators must provide disclosures that users are communicating with AI, implement self-harm detection protocols, and restrict minor access to bots offering mental health services. Employers using automated decision technology must disclose such use in employment decisions and note AI-related layoffs in state notifications.
In-house legal teams at social media platforms, AI chat bot operators, and employers using automated decision tools should review customer terms of service, vendor agreements for AI tools, and employment contracts to ensure compliance with the new Connecticut legislation. Social media companies must update privacy policies and user agreements to include parental consent requirements for algorithmic content targeting minors, default privacy and usage settings for minor accounts, and mandatory mental health warning pop-ups. AI operators should add clauses requiring clear disclosures of AI interaction, self-harm detection protocols, and restrictions on minor access to mental health-related bots in their terms of service and vendor contracts. Employers must include disclosure clauses in employment agreements and vendor contracts for AI hiring tools, noting the use of automated decision technology in employment decisions and layoff notifications. All covered entities should review reporting obligations to ensure vendor agreements require provision of data needed for annual state reporting on minor users.
Entity
Office of the Attorney General William Tong
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2026-press-releases/statement-on-final-passage-of-legislation-to-combat-youth-social-media-addiction
office of the attorney general ai advisory.pdf?rev=1b393e0f5
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2026/office-of-the-attorney-general---ai-advisory.pdf?rev=1b393e0f5a2e4eccb19642e4520773bd&hash=0EB1AB8FF586C129315C292974C9A27A
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
"Office of the Attorney General William Tong"
"05/01/2026"
"Connecticut"
"final passage of state legislation"
"prohibit social media companies from exposing minors to harmful and addictive algorithms and notifications without parental consent"
"disclosure requirements related to use of automated decision technology in employment decisions"
On May 11, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products. The coalition argues the guidance ignores evidence that flavored e-cigarettes disproportionately drive youth addiction and that FDA has failed to enforce existing authorization requirements for e-cigarette products. The letter references past tobacco and e-cigarette enforcement actions, including the 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement and the 2022 $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of House Bill 5312, which creates new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault. The legislation allows the AG to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal synthetic intimate images, including AI-generated child pornography, and establishes a private right of action for victims. The bill builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized dissemination of intimate images.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all U.S. sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs following an investigation into direct sales to consumers without prescriptions or medical oversight. The settlement prohibits the platform from hosting GLP-1 sales to U.S. customers, requires a monitoring system to remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements were announced with Radiance Medspa and Advanced Medical Weight Loss over compounded non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.
$7.4B
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced that Purdue Pharma will dissolve as the company’s bankruptcy concludes and a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue and the Sackler family takes effect. The settlement permanently bars the Sacklers from selling opioids in the U.S., directs funds to addiction treatment and prevention, and requires the release of over 30 million documents related to Purdue’s opioid business. Connecticut is expected to receive $64 million from the settlement, with first payments anticipated in fall 2026.