A North Carolina Senate committee advanced a bill Tuesday on new restrictions for some teenagers and “addictive” social media platforms.
The Senate rules and operations committee did so without opposition, though after some discussion over who would pay for portions of the bill and whether age verification could take place anonymously.
Last week, state lawmakers rewrote House Bill 301 to apply only to “addictive” platforms, which include many criteria.
Namely, they would be websites or apps primarily used for uploading content, and they would use an algorithm to collect data on users and then select content to show those users.
The bill would ban anyone 13 years and younger from having a social media account.
Children who are 14 and 15 would need parent or guardian consent.
Any children of those ages who has an account would either have it deleted or be required to provide parental or guardian permission to continue using it.
Many social media apps allow children as young as 13 to be users, one year younger than the bill would allow.
The bill would fine social media companies up to $50,000 for each time a younger teen sets up an account against the law’s provisions. Families of those children, under the bill, could sue companies for the violation, up to $10,000.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, told lawmakers last week that the best way to require age verification is through the app store and federally approved App Store Accountability Act, not through state law.
One lawmaker said she favored anonymous age verification, to avoid any data being susceptible to exposure. House Bill 301 allows for that but doesn’t require it.
Lawmakers in favor of the bill have said they believe social media is destructive, particularly for young people.
The bill doesn’t stop there when it comes to young people and technology.
The bill now includes a provision requiring the State Board of Education to adopt standards for age-appropriate instruction on artificial intelligence literacy. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for two and a half years has had guidance in the form of a living document but hasn’t as the board to require schools to follow it, in part because of the changing nature of the technology and how people use it.
The bill would also require teachers to take training — developed by the Friday Institute at North Carolina State University — on artificial intelligence. One lawmakers asked whether schools would be required to pay for the training. Lawmakers are planning to provide funding for that in the next budget, though a budget hasn’t been agreed upon yet.
