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.
Social media companies must implement default privacy, time-of-use, and notification settings for minor accounts, require parental consent to alter defaults or use addictive algorithms, display mental health warning labels to minors, and submit annual reports to the state detailing minor user data. AI chatbot operators must disclose AI interactions to users, implement self-harm detection protocols, and restrict minor access to bots capable of encouraging self-harm or providing mental health services. Employers using automated decision tools must disclose AI use in employment decisions, note AI-related workforce reductions in layoff notifications, and comply with state study and planning requirements for AI employment impacts.
In-house legal teams at social media platforms, AI chatbot operators, and employers utilizing automated decision tools should review customer, vendor, and employment agreements for compliance with Connecticut’s new legislation. Social media companies must update minor account terms, privacy policies, and data processing agreements to include parental consent clauses for altering default settings or deploying addictive algorithms, incorporate required mental health warning labels, and align data collection practices with new annual reporting obligations. AI chatbot operators should revise service agreements to mandate AI interaction disclosures, self-harm detection protocols, and minor access restrictions. Employers using automated employment decision tools must update employee agreements and vendor contracts to include required AI use disclosures, and modify layoff notification clauses to explicitly note AI-related workforce reductions as required by the new law.
Entity
social media companies
Industry
Social MediaOfficial 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
"Attorney General Tong Statement on Final Passage of Legislation to Combat Youth Social Media Addiction and Artificial Intelligence Harms"
"05/01/2026"
"Connecticut"
"final passage of state legislation"
"social media companies"
"exposing minors to harmful and addictive algorithms and notifications without parental consent"
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.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs into the United States. The settlement prohibits manufacturers from advertising or selling GLP-1s to U.S. customers via the platform, requires a monitoring system to detect and remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements with entities including Triggered Brand, Radiance Medspa of Avon, and Advanced Medical Weight Loss of East Hartford were also announced for similar violations of Connecticut's Unfair Trade Practices Act.
On April 28, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 other state attorneys general and New York City in sending letters to major credit card companies and payment processors urging them to block transactions facilitating illegal vaping product sales. The coalition highlighted that most vapor products lack required FDA authorization and many online sellers violate the federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, including failing to implement youth access safeguards. The coalition requested a meeting to discuss prohibiting noncompliant merchants from using payment networks, building on existing state enforcement actions against illegal vape sellers.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with beauty retailer Sephora resolving an investigation into the company’s marketing of anti-aging skincare products containing active ingredients like retinol to children under 13. Sephora agreed to adopt enforceable safeguards including requiring suppliers to provide age suitability warnings, disclosing those warnings on product pages, training employees to advise young customers, and maintaining a public resource on age-appropriate products. No monetary penalty was imposed.
On April 17, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 23 state attorneys general in sending a comment letter to CFPB Acting Director Russell Vought opposing the CFPB’s proposed strategic plan, which would drastically reduce agency staffing, weaken supervision of financial institutions, and curtail enforcement capacity. The coalition argues the plan would abdicate the CFPB’s statutory obligations, leave consumers vulnerable to fraud and scams, and shift enforcement burden to state agencies. The letter urges the CFPB to reverse course and maintain robust consumer protection efforts.
$100K
The Connecticut Attorney General announced a $100,000 settlement with Spruce Power 3, LLC to resolve an investigation into billing, customer service, and warranty issues stemming from consumer complaints. The settlement includes refunds for improper charges and requires reforms to improve billing practices and response times. Separately, an investigation was initiated into SunStrong Management LLC based on approximately 65 consumer complaints regarding warranty failures, unresponsiveness, and fees.