Cybersecurity Policy Report, Social Media Safety Bill Sent to S.C. Governor, (May 18, 2026)
A bill that would require social media platforms to estimate the age of certain account holders, verify the age of certain account holders, and create default account settings for some users and other parental controls has been sent to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R.) for his signature.
The Stop Harm from Addictive Social Media Act would require large social media platforms with at least $1 billion in annual advertising revenue to take steps to protect children under 16 from potentially harmful and addictive features. The bill would direct these platforms to use “reasonable means to estimate and verify the ages of account holders,” with specific confidence thresholds and timelines triggered by user activity.
HB 4591 would direct platforms to obtain verifiable parental consent before allowing children to create or maintain accounts and set all privacy settings for child accounts to the most private by default. The bill gives parents the option to monitor and limit their children’s usage, and platforms would be prohibited from displaying addictive interface features such as infinite scrolling and auto-play videos.
The act would provide for a private right of action for children and parents to seek damages, including statutory damages of at least $10,000 for reckless or knowing violations, and allow for punitive damages in cases of consistent misconduct. The attorney general would be empowered to enforce the act.
The bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Rep. Brandon Guffey (R.) was the primary sponsor of the bill (H.B. 4591, Reg Sess.).
News: StateLegislation DataPrivacy