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.
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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"
$10.0M
A March 2023 breach exposed personal and protected health information belonging to more than 13.3 million people after hackers accessed the companies’ systems, including unencrypted files, and security alerts were not properly configured. The companies agreed to pay at least $300,000 in penalties, with up to $9.7 million more due if they fail to comply, and to implement extensive security, incident-response, and data-handling reforms.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and a 23-state coalition obtained a court ruling declaring unlawful federal immigration-enforcement conditions placed on Congressionally authorized public safety grants. The court permanently enjoined the federal government from implementing or enforcing those conditions; the release does not describe a privacy violation or monetary penalty.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong co-led a bipartisan coalition of 45 attorneys general urging Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act. This was a legislative advocacy effort, not a new enforcement action; the release discusses prior investigations into platforms’ effects on children and a separate Meta settlement.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and two governors in opposing proposed changes to the 2030 Census. The coalition argued the proposal would exclude people from the count, remove demographic questions, and replace the usual-residence standard; this was a comment-letter action, not a penalty or enforcement order.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined attorneys general from 17 states in an amicus brief urging the New York Court of Appeals to preserve state authority to pursue fraud cases. The underlying civil case alleges that Donald Trump and his co-defendants inflated asset values to obtain better loan and insurance terms; this press release announces advocacy, not a new enforcement order or penalty.
$220.0M
Connecticut and a coalition of 36 attorneys general reached a $220 million settlement with General Motors over the collection and sale of consumers’ driving behavior and location data to data brokers and insurers without adequate disclosure or consent. The settlement requires affirmative express consent before collecting or disclosing driving and location data, limits data collection, and imposes privacy program assessments and dealership oversight and training.