South Carolina Age-Appropriate Design Code
The South Carolina legislature on 21 January 2026 passed the Social Media Regulation Act (H-3431) with unanimous support from both the House and Senate.
The Social Media Regulation Act includes the South Carolina Age-Appropriate Design Code (S.268, H.3431) introduced in parallel into the Senate and House in early 2025. In January 2026 it passed out of the House with a unanimous 112-0 vote, to gain unanimous support by the Senate shortly thereafter.
The bill requires tech companies to implement privacy-by-default and safety-by-design protections for kids online. This means setting high privacy standards by default and avoiding manipulative design.
“I don’t think it’s arguable anymore that our youth are being harmed by social media, in the design of these social media platforms. This bill basically just says create a product that’s safe for kids and teens to use, what you can and can’t do, and then build it. If it fits within those parameters, do what you want.”
Senator Sean M. Bennett
The Act was signed into law by Governor Henry McMaster on 5 February 2026 and takes immediate effect.
