RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTV) – A month after a California jury issued a landmark ruling against Meta and Google — finding the companies negligent for developing social media platforms that are harmfully addictive to young people — North Carolina lawmakers are weighing a new proposal aimed at limiting children’s access to social media apps.
House Bill 301, now moving through the North Carolina Senate, would restrict app downloads based on age and require stronger verification measures.
What House Bill 301 would do
Under the bill:
- Kids 13 and under would be banned from downloading social media apps
- Ages 14–15 would need parental consent to download social media apps
- Current account holders ages 14–15 would need parental consent or their accounts could be terminated
Supporters say the restrictions would be enforced through age-verification systems, but lawmakers are still debating key details — including who would be responsible if an underage child is able to download an app: the app store or the social media platform itself.
Committee hears testimony on anxiety, depression — and predators
During a Senate Education Policy Committee hearing Tuesday, April 28, several lawmakers pointed to documented cases of childhood anxiety and depression linked to social media use. Testimony also focused on the risks of children being exposed to predators online.
Mitch Prosser with the NC Family Policy Council warned lawmakers that technology and algorithms can make it easier for predators to target children.
“When children are able to access social media, the strangers come looking for them,” Prosser said. “AI tools and algorithmic functions… allow predators easy access to our most vulnerable… too many children have been robbed of their innocence… and even kidnapped and trafficked because they were exposed to the harms of social media too early.”
Lawmakers want companies held accountable
Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook already require users to verify their age and prohibit accounts for children under 13. But lawmakers backing HB 301 say companies should be held responsible when kids bypass existing safeguards.
Rep. Jeff Zenger (R–District 74), a co-author of the bill, said the proposal includes enforcement mechanisms and penalties.
“It authorizes the Justice Department to bring an action for unfair and deceptive trade practices… and to collect a civil penalty of up to $50,000 per violation,” Zenger said. “And authorizes a civil action on behalf of a minor account holder for an award of up to $10,000 in damages… it’s got some teeth in it.”
First Amendment challenges in other states
The push to restrict social media access for minors is playing out nationwide, and legal outcomes have been mixed. Several states have passed laws aimed at limiting teen access to social media, but some measures have faced lawsuits or been rolled back.
Zenger said similar laws have withstood challenges in some states and compared the debate to other age-based restrictions.
“Are age restrictions on guns a violation of the Second Amendment?” Zenger said. “So it has survived challenges.”
New survey shows strong support — and major privacy concerns
The debate in North Carolina comes as new research highlights how strongly parents and adults feel about online protections.
A 2026 Common Sense Media survey found:
- 64% of adults support age verification for social media
- 95% say children need protection from certain online content
But the survey also found significant concerns about how age verification would work:
- 80% worry kids will find ways around age checks
- 86% are concerned companies could share children’s data without consent
The results suggest support for guardrails is high, but enforcement and privacy risks remain central to the debate.
Meta says it supports an app store verification threshold
An attorney representing Meta attended the committee hearing and said the company supports legislation that would create an app store age-verification threshold, but acknowledged the likelihood of lawsuits. Lawmakers said those concerns are expected to be addressed as the bill moves next to the Senate Judiciary Committee, before it can reach the Senate floor for full debate.
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