{"id":810,"date":"2026-06-01T09:06:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T09:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=810"},"modified":"2026-06-01T09:06:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T09:06:48","slug":"sc-wants-teens-off-their-screens-ban-on-autoplay-videos-in-new-social-media-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=810","title":{"rendered":"SC wants teens off their screens. Ban on autoplay videos in new social media law"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Young teenagers in South Carolina will no longer be able to see like counts, stay up late watching autoplay videos or receive notifications for new posts on social media under a law signed by Gov. Henry McMaster.<\/p>\n

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The law requires large social media companies to estimate users\u2019 age and receive parental permission when the platform is confident an account holder is under 16.<\/p>\n

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It also cuts off \u201caddictive features,\u201d like autoplay videos and content metrics, to kids. Parents can monitor and cap the amount of time kids spend on social media platforms. Targeted advertising to children and younger teens is also banned under the new law.<\/p>\n

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The intent is to protect children\u2019s mental health by severing their access to addictive features online and allowing parents to monitor screen time.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe kids are dubbed the anxious generation,\u201d said state Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-York. \u201cThis is something to protect the kids. We\u2019ve already had our guinea pig generation to see the harms of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Guffey has pushed for legislation intended to protect kids online and said he also hopes to tackle AI chatbots next year. Guffey lost his teenage son to suicide after an online sextortion scam.<\/p>\n

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\u201c[Social media companies] are the big tobacco of this generation,\u201d Guffey said.<\/p>\n

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Balancing free speech rights and protecting children online has been a challenge. Many states\u2019 efforts regulating social media companies have been challenged in court.<\/p>\n

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By regulating content and not requiring users to upload IDs, supporters say it has a better shot at standing up against lawsuits. Guffey said he hopes the new law could serve as a model for other social media regulations.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think that this could be national model policy,\u201d Guffey said. \u201cIt does not require any age verification, uses age estimation, and it\u2019s something to protect our kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Amy Bos, the vice president of public affairs at NetChoice, told state senators in early May the bill wouldn\u2019t actually protect children because it could get struck down in court for violating free speech protections. NetChoice is a trade association with membership consisting of several large technology companies, including Meta, Google, TikTok and Youtube.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAn unconstitutional law doesn\u2019t protect kids,\u201d Bos said May 7.<\/p>\n

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State Sen. Michael Johnson, R-York, said it would be worth the risk.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAll it really costs us is that social media companies are going to sue us and try to find these things unconstitutional,\u201d Johnson said May 7. \u201cMan, I wish we lined one of these up every week. I mean let\u2019s get sued. That\u2019s worth being sued over if we\u2019re trying to protect kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

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State Sen. Russell Ott, D-Calhoun said parents shouldn\u2019t see the new law as a miracle solution to unhealthy social media use during floor debate. He added protecting kids was important to him as the father of two boys.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s very important sometimes that we don\u2019t get carried away, we don\u2019t lose sight of some things that I think are very important,\u201d Ott said. \u201cAnd that is we all have responsibility, not just elected officials, but parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

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How SC\u2019s new law for kids\u2019 social media works<\/h2>\n

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The new law, called \u201cStop Harm from Addictive Social Media,\u201d aims to keep kids from endlessly scrolling by estimating their age, rather than requiring verification.<\/p>\n

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\u201cEssentially it is a social media ban for anyone under the age of 16, unless a parent consents,\u201d Guffey said. \u201cAnd then if the parent consents, it still stops the addictive features, such as infinite scrolling. It stops the marketing and algorithms being used on those children.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Large social media companies making at least $1 billion from advertising annually will be required to estimate the age of its South Carolina users. While some social media regulations require users to submit identification verifying their age, including South Carolina\u2019s own prohibition on minors accessing pornography websites, this law forces companies to ask for a birthdate and then estimate age based on activity on the platform.<\/p>\n

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After someone uses a social media account for a certain amount of time, the social media company will be required to estimate their age with a specific degree of confidence. The data used to guess a person\u2019s age should be the typical information the platform collects, under the new law.<\/p>\n

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The rules for estimating age are:<\/p>\n

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