A tech trade group has sued to stop California's new law requiring unskippable mental-health warnings on social media for kids and teens, Georgia's attorney general is asking convenience stores to pull kratom and 7-OH gummies and shots marketed to young people, and Mississippi now has a former state cyber-crime chief working inside Roblox as a law enforcement liaison. Lawsuits are allegations, not findings, and a proposal is not a law; here is what each document says and where it applies as of Oct. 25, 2026.
1. NetChoice Sues to Block California's Social Media Warning Labels for Minors (AB 56)
The law. California's Assembly Bill 56, the Social Media Warning Law (Chapter 671, Statutes of 2025), was approved by the governor on Oct. 13, 2025, and becomes operative Jan. 1, 2027. It applies to "covered platforms," services defined in state law as addictive internet-based services or applications; sites whose main function is selling goods or services, cloud storage, email, private direct messaging or internal workplace communication are excluded. A covered platform must show this black-box warning in black text on a white background:
"The Surgeon General has warned that while social media may have benefits for some young users, social media is associated with significant mental health harms and has not been proven safe for young users."
- First use each day: at least 10 seconds unless the user clicks a conspicuous "X," covering at least 25% of the screen.
- After three hours of cumulative active use that day, then at least once an hour: at least 30 seconds, with no way to bypass or click through it, covering at least 75% of the screen.
- Platforms don't have to show either warning to a user they have "reasonably determined" is over 17. The law creates no private right of action.
The lawsuit. NetChoice, an internet trade association, filed NetChoice v. Bonta (No. 2:26-cv-12370) in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Oct. 22 against Attorney General Rob Bonta in his official capacity. The complaint alleges the law compels speech in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments, says it covers services of NetChoice members including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Nextdoor, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr, TikTok, X and YouTube, and asks the court to declare AB 56 unconstitutional and bar its enforcement against those members. It cites a federal court's injunction against Colorado's similar warning-label law, which is on appeal.
Where it stands: The docket shows only the complaint and civil cover sheet so far. No ruling or hearing has been scheduled, and the law remains set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, unless a court blocks it.
Source: California Legislative Information: AB 56 text
Source: CourtListener: NetChoice v. Bonta docket
Source: NetChoice
2. Georgia's Attorney General Asks Stores to Pull Kratom and 7-OH Products, Proposes a Near-Total Ban
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr on Oct. 23 called on all convenience stores in the state to remove kratom products from their shelves immediately, "particularly those products that are regularly marketed to children and teens." He spoke at a meeting of the Georgia House of Representatives' Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Youth Exposure to Kratom and Retail Available Substances. His office describes 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as an opioid-like substance that is addictive and roughly 13 times more potent than morphine, which manufacturers make into tablets, gummies, shots and powders sold as "kratom" at gas stations and smoke shops.
The release says the Georgia Poison Center has handled roughly 543 kratom exposure cases since 2021, including a 66% increase from 2022 to 2025, with "the vast majority requiring treatment at a healthcare facility." Georgia's current Kratom Consumer Protection Act already bans synthetic 7-OH, but Carr says police must find, seize, test and prove what each product contains. He wants lawmakers to presume all kratom-related products illegal for retail sale unless the state approves them on a short public list based on standards such as independent lab testing, accurate labeling and federal marketing authorization; anything else would be contraband.
Where it stands: The store request is a call to retailers, not a legal order, and the ban is a proposal. No bill number has been announced.
Source: Georgia Office of the Attorney General
3. Mississippi's Cyber-Crime Director Becomes Roblox's Law Enforcement Liaison Under State Settlement
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced on Oct. 21 that Shawn Wolfe, director of the office's Cyber Crime Division since February 2023, will become the Law Enforcement Liaison for Mississippi at Roblox. Deputy director Charlie Rubisoff becomes division director Nov. 1. The liaison job was part of Mississippi's settlement with Roblox announced in June 2026. According to the release, the liaison will make sure the attorney general's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and other Mississippi law enforcement have "real-time or near-real-time 24-7-365 access," run training on Roblox's law enforcement response policies, and give guidance to parents, caregivers and educators on product and policy safety. The release also notes that Wolfe supported the attorney general's lawyers who negotiated with Roblox and other platforms.
TJ Donovan, Roblox's vice president of U.S. state policy, said in the release that Wolfe's experience "will strengthen our ongoing work to help keep young people safe online." The June settlement release lists other terms, including limits on adults interacting with children and teens, age verification and parental consent, parental controls over who kids talk to, time online and Robux transfers, $9 million for digital-literacy education and $5 million in liquidated damages to ensure compliance.
Source: Mississippi Attorney General: Oct. 21, 2026 release (PDF)
Source: Mississippi Attorney General: June 2026 Roblox settlement release (PDF)
This roundup reports what public documents say. It is not legal advice.
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