Bill > S722

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for protecting children online in North Carolina by creating three key entities: the Online Safety Division within the Department of Justice, a Cyberbullying Unit at the State Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina Online Child Safety Commission. The bill defines "covered platforms" as internet services with over 5 million users in North Carolina and annual revenues exceeding $25 million, and imposes several mandatory protections for children, including requiring parental notification for children's accounts, prohibiting manipulative "dark patterns" and addictive features, establishing robust parental control tools, and mandating strict privacy settings by default. Platforms must submit annual Child Impact Assessments, limit personal data collection, and provide mechanisms for children to delete their data. The Online Safety Division will investigate complaints, educate the public, and issue online safety standards, while the Cyberbullying Unit will operate a toll-free helpline. The nine-member Online Child Safety Commission will have broad powers to research online risks, develop educational initiatives, handle complaints, and recommend legislative changes, with a primary mission of protecting children from digital harm. The bill includes enforcement mechanisms allowing the Attorney General to bring civil actions with potential penalties up to $500,000 per violation, and allocates $5 million to the Department of Justice and $2 million to the State Bureau of Investigation to implement these initiatives, with the full act becoming effective December 1, 2025.