S.C. House advances 2 bills to boost kids’ online safety

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - South Carolina lawmakers say they need to step in to ensure kids and teens are kept safe from the dangers of the internet.

On Wednesday, the state’s House of Representatives advanced two bills lawmakers say are designed to do that.

The first bill targets social media sites — to try to keep minors off them — unless their parents say it’s OK.

“We’re in a social media age that is very different than life was before that age, and this is an attempt to put a tool in the hands of parents,” said Rep. Jay Jordan, R-Florence.

The bill would require social media companies to make “commercially reasonable efforts” to s are at least 18 years old – and then only allow minors access if they have their parent’s or guardian’s permission.

It also would require those companies to keep minors from accessing content that encourages use of force, self-harm and the destruction of school property or that visually depicts sexual violence.

Some said while they agree with the intention of the bill and ultimately voted for it, they questioned how effective and enforceable it could actually be.

“It is not hard to simply click a button and say that you are 18 years old,” said Rep. Russell Ott, D-Calhoun. “It is not hard for a 16-year-old to simply click a button and say, ‘I give permission to my son or daughter to have this .’”

The House gave second reading to that bill — essentially ing it — in a near-unanimous vote, as did for another bill that would require age verification for pornography websites.

After one final vote Thursday in the House on both bills, they’ll move over to the Senate for consideration.

Both bills would give South Carolina’s attorney general the power to pursue legal action against social media companies or websites that violate the law.

Attorney General Alan Wilson is a proponent of both measures.

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