North Carolina HB 301 (Social Media & AI Safety)
North Carolina, United StatesHigh threat- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- Became Law
Stage 1 of 4: Introduced
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
Take action
This bill is still moving, so there's still time to push back.
Take action on this issueContact LawmakersWhat 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
Senate appointed confereesLatest
House voted not to concur, 111-0, and appointed conferees
Passed the Senate 48-0
Second Senate committee substitute adopted
Senate committee substitute adopted
Passed the House 106-6
Introduced in the House
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
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