North Carolina Legislation Targets Social Media Practices to Protect Youth
North Carolina lawmakers are taking significant action to enhance the safety of young social media users with the passage of House Bill 860, dubbed the “Social Media Control in IT Act.” The bill, which received unanimous approval from the House Standing Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on June 17, aims to reshape how major social media platforms handle user data, particularly for minors.
This legislation targets platforms with over 1 million monthly users, such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, prohibiting them from using the personal data of minors for advertising or algorithmic purposes. It mandates clear opt-in consent before any data can be utilized, along with several privacy-friendly default settings for young users. These guidelines include turning off autoplay, hiding engagement counts, and restricting communication and location-sharing unless explicitly permitted by users.
House Bill 860 is part of a larger initiative to address the harmful effects of social media on minors. It follows the recent advancement of HB 301, which seeks to ban accounts for children under 14 and implement age-verification processes, and HB 959, which bars social media access in classrooms. Legislators emphasize the urgent need for these measures, citing studies that link excessive screen time to serious mental health issues, including depression and anxiety—conditions that disproportionately affect adolescents.
Rep. Jeff McNeely, a primary sponsor of the bill, asserts the importance of safeguarding vulnerable youth, while Rep. Wyatt Gable shared personal experiences related to social media addiction among peers. Notably, the legislation establishes the North Carolina Data Privacy Task Force, set to assess the impact of social media on youth mental health and propose future policy recommendations.
With unanimous committee support, House Bill 860 will now be reviewed by the House Appropriations Committee, marking a critical step toward protecting North Carolina’s young residents in the digital age.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
