COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – A new South Carolina law will limit addictive features on popular social media platforms, requiring stronger privacy protections, parental controls and banning targeted ads for children.
The law represents a major shift in how kids will experience social media, with new restrictions aimed at cutting down on addictive features and protecting their mental health and development.
“These large corporations are bidding for children’s attentions,” said Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-York.
For kids 15 and younger, social media is going to look different. The law targets platforms earning more than one billion dollars in advertising revenue, like Instagram and TikTok. The law requires companies to flag accounts belonging to kids under 16.
“Once they confirm that they have confidence this is a child then they must stop or enact safety features they have to have a parental dashboard they have to stop marketing directly to our children,” Guffey said.
The law bans infinite scrolling and video autoplay. Guffey, who led the effort, said kids will now swipe sideways instead of down and hit play for every video. He said that change will reduce the dopamine rush researchers link to constant downward scrolling.
“People get on their phones then it’s continuously feeding video that’s going to release dopamine this has been proven over and over, they ran scientific tests to do this to addict kids,” Guffey said.
Kimberly Long is a mother and teacher in Fort Mill who sees the effects of too much screen time firsthand in her classroom. She said it interferes with kids developing social skills and emotional maturity.
“Also really limited what we call executive functioning skills so those are the soft skills in the business world things that kids need like being able to take turns understanding reciprocal conversation, sharing, and especially that emotional regulation,” Long said.
Targeted ads banned
The Palmetto Family Council said the law also bans targeted ads for kids. The council said South Carolina is one of only a handful of states with this kind of law and said the state should stay on the forefront of keeping kids safe online.
“They end up trapped in these loops these cycles they get advertised things and the company’s know that your attention is extremely valuable that’s where the profit is that’s where the margins are met,” said Josiah DuCharme, publishing and advocacy director for Palmetto Family Council.
The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. Supporters of the bill said they hope to pursue additional regulations next year focused on how children interact with AI chatbots.
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