North Carolina HB 301 (Social Media & AI Safety)

North Carolina, United StatesNorth Carolina HB 301Updated June 24, 2026

50%of the way to law
Bad for your rightsIn progress
  1. Introduced
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Became Law

Passed both chambers in different versions; in conference committee since June 2026

The Senate version of North Carolina HB 301 bans social media accounts for children under 14 and makes platforms verify users' ages, and the bill now sits in a conference committee.

Latest update

Senate appointed conferees

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The bill

Official bill record

Key facts

Where
North Carolina, United States
Bill number
North Carolina HB 301
Status
In progress
Introduced
March 5, 2025
Threat
High
Last update
June 24, 2026

Topics

Age VerificationDigital IDCensorshipPrivacy

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What it does

The Senate version adds a new Chapter 114B. "Addictive social media platforms" may not give accounts to children under 14, and 14- and 15-year-olds need a parent's consent. Platforms must verify age, and a Senate amendment requires "anonymous age verification" to be run by an independent, nongovernmental third party that is not foreign-owned. Accounts held by 14- and 15-year-olds without consent must be closed after a 30-day dispute window. The bill also adds K-12 AI literacy provisions, and its account rules apply to claims arising on or after January 1, 2027.

What’s at stake

Finding the users under 14 means checking the age of all users, so adults in North Carolina would have to clear a third-party age check to use covered platforms. The "anonymous" label describes what the vendor promises, and a vendor still handles the check and the data.

Our take

The House passed HB 301 106-6 and the Senate passed its rewrite 48-0, then the House rejected the Senate version 111-0. WRAL reported that House conferees want default-on parental controls in place of ID checks, a far better answer that needs nobody's identity. The conference committee has taken no recorded action since June 24, 2026.

Timeline

  1. Senate appointed confereesLatest

  2. House voted not to concur, 111-0, and appointed conferees

  3. Passed the Senate 48-0

  4. Second Senate committee substitute adopted

  5. Senate committee substitute adopted

  6. Passed the House 106-6

  7. Introduced in the House

The record

Sponsors

Rep. Jeff Zenger, Rep. Neal Jackson, Rep. Jonathan Almond, Rep. David Willis

Votes

  • House: Passed (106 to 6), May 6, 2025
  • Senate: Passed (amended) (48 to 0), June 10, 2026
  • House: Voted not to concur in Senate changes (111 to 0), June 23, 2026