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If House Bill 301 becomes law, this bill would require social media platforms to age verify all users, prohibit children under 14 from creating social media accounts and require the state board of education to adopt AI use and instruction in schools in North Carolina.
Teenagers ages 14 and 15 could only also use platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat with parental consent. State lawmakers who support the bill, like so-sponsor Republican Rep. Donnie Loftis of Gaston County, says this is important in spaces even outside of the classroom.
“There has to be a way of protecting one innocent children in early education grades, from potential threats to, I guess, their intellect as a young child who may not have any clue of what life really about,” Loftis said.
The bill would also require social media companies to verify users’ ages and could impose penalties of up to $50,000 per violation for companies that don’t comply.
Rep. Loftis says the measure helps protect children from cyberbullying, online predators and the mental health impacts of social media.
“We have seen, unfortunately, after incidents where influencers are people who are grooming young people, and they have no idea what they’re getting into,” Loftis said. “So this is another safety feature that can protect these young people from ending up in a situation, they have no idea what they’re getting into until it’s too late.”
Some argue age verification requirements create privacy concerns over First Amendment rights.
Lawmakers have also added provisions requiring schools to develop AI use policies for students, teachers and administrators.
“So, this bill allows every two years for us to come back and take a look at that and assist the DPI, Department of Public Instruction, to change the curriculum to match what the technology and what the information and what society is kind of moving towards two years from now,” Loftis said.
The bill has already passed the house with bipartisan support and is now under consideration in the senate judiciary committee. If approved and signed by governor Josh Stein, North Carolina would join several other states that have enacted or proposed restrictions on social media use.
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