Bill > H860

This bill aims to combat social media addiction and protect user privacy in North Carolina, particularly for minors, by establishing comprehensive regulations for social media platforms. The legislation requires platforms with over 1 million monthly active users to provide clear, accessible disclosures about data collection, obtain user consent before collecting personal information, and give users control over how their data is used in algorithmic recommendation systems. Specifically, the bill prohibits platforms from using a minor's personal information in recommendation algorithms and mandates protective default privacy settings for minors, such as turning off notifications, hiding interaction counts, and disabling communication and data visibility settings by default. The bill creates a North Carolina Data Privacy Task Force to monitor and report on social media's mental health impacts, establishes a registry of platform privacy policies, and provides both the Attorney General and individual users (including minors) with the right to take legal action against platforms that violate these provisions. Platforms found in violation can face civil penalties, including compensatory and punitive damages, and the bill appropriates $200,000 to the Department of Justice to develop the required registry. The law will become effective on October 1, 2026, with the goal of protecting users, especially minors, from potentially harmful social media practices.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H860