This bill establishes the North Carolina Children's Safe Screens Act to protect minors under 18 from online harms by regulating large internet platforms. It creates a new Online Safety Division within the Department of Justice to enforce rules that ban deceptive design tactics, require parental notification for child accounts, and mandate strict privacy settings by default. Covered platforms, defined as those with over five million users in the state and $25 million in annual revenue, must submit annual impact assessments and provide tools for parents to manage screen time and content. The legislation empowers the Attorney General to file civil lawsuits against non-compliant companies, with potential fines of up to $500,000 per violation, while funding enforcement through a dedicated state fund.
SB 722 creates the Online Safety Division within North Carolina’s Department of Justice, the Cyberbullying Unit at the State Bureau of Investigation, and an Online Child Safety Commission. It directly affects major digital platforms with over 5 million users in North Carolina and $25 million in annual revenue, requiring them to implement parental notification systems, disable manipulative design features ("dark patterns"), and provide robust privacy tools for children. Platforms must submit annual Child Impact Assessments detailing risks to minors, limit data collection for children, prohibit targeted advertising, and default to strict privacy settings. The law authorizes civil penalties of up to $500,000 per violation for noncompliance, with funding of $5 million for 2025-2026 allocated to establish these new state units.
SB 514, the "Social Media Algorithmic Control in Information Technology Act," requires social media platforms with over 1 million monthly U.S. users to obtain clear, separate consent from North Carolina minors (under 18) before using their personal data for advertising or algorithmic recommendations. The bill mandates accessible opt-in mechanisms - replacing default settings - to let users control how their data is processed, while banning the use of minors' data for targeted ads or content algorithms. It defines prohibited data uses broadly to include browsing history, location, and biometric information, and designates violations as unfair business practices under North Carolina law. The law directly affects major social media platforms operating in North Carolina, imposing new data privacy obligations without specifying enforcement details.
HB 462, titled the "Personal Data Privacy/Social Media Safety Act," aims to protect North Carolinians by enacting two main components: the Personal Data Privacy Act and the Social Media Safety Act. The provided text details the "North Carolina Personal Data Privacy Act," which is set to take effect on January 1, 2026. This act establishes definitions for key terms such as "personal data," "biometric data," "precise geolocation data," and "consent," affecting North Carolina residents as "consumers" and entities that process their data as "controllers." It also outlines the framework for consumer rights regarding their personal data.
HB 301, titled "Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16," aims to regulate social media platforms for minors in North Carolina. The bill prohibits social media platforms from allowing children under 14 years of age to create accounts and requires them to terminate existing accounts for this age group, deleting their personal data. For minors aged 14 or 15, platforms must obtain parental or guardian consent before they can create or maintain an account. The North Carolina Department of Justice is responsible for enforcing these provisions, which allows for civil penalties and damages for violations, including potential lawsuits by affected minors.
HB 860, the Social Media Control in Information Technology Act, requires social media platforms with over 1 million U.S. monthly active users to stop using North Carolina minors' (under 18) personal data for advertising or algorithm-driven content recommendations. It mandates platforms to provide clear, easy-to-use privacy tools allowing users to control data sharing, with special opt-in consent required for minors' data. The bill prohibits "dark patterns" in consent processes and defines strict terms like "personal information" to cover data ranging from location to health details. Violations would be treated as unfair business practices under North Carolina law, with funds appropriated for enforcement. The law directly affects major social media platforms operating in North Carolina, focusing on protecting minors' data privacy rather than addressing broader social media use.
