House Bill 301 would require platforms to delete under‑13 accounts and obtain parental consent for young teens as part of a statewide push to address youth mental health and online safety.
North Carolina lawmakers are moving forward with a sweeping proposal that would bar children under 14 from having social media accounts and require parental consent for teens ages 14 and 15. The measure, House Bill 301, passed the NC House with broad bipartisan support and is now under consideration in the Senate.
If enacted, the bill would require social media companies to delete existing accounts belonging to children 13 and younger.
Platforms that allow underage users to create or maintain accounts could face penalties of up to $50,000 per violation. Families would also have the option to pursue civil action for damages up to $10,000.
The proposal also mandates age‑verification systems to prevent minors from bypassing restrictions. Supporters argue that stronger safeguards are needed to address rising concerns about mental health issues linked to heavy social media use among children and young teens. Lawmakers backing the bill have pointed to anxiety, depression, and attention‑related challenges as key motivators for the legislation.
Opponents and digital‑rights advocates have raised questions about how platforms would verify ages, whether parental consent systems would be consistent, and how the rules might affect teens who rely on online communities for support. Some also warn that strict verification requirements could lead to increased data collection from both minors and adults.
HB 301 is part of a broader package of youth‑focused online safety measures introduced this session.
Additional bills include HB 860, which would limit how platforms use minors’ data and require privacy‑protective default settings, and HB 959, which would restrict social media access on school‑issued devices while expanding digital literacy instruction.
The Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on HB 301, but the proposal continues to draw statewide attention as North Carolina joins a growing number of states considering age‑based restrictions on social media use.
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