Digital Reality Heatmap

Legislative Tracker

Public-source posture estimateNot legal adviceMap regenerated2026-05-08 · 8 May 2026

Youth & Social Media

South Carolina

In motion.Trending toward more guardrails.

Takes effect 2027-01-01 · 1 January 2027

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Not yet effective. The rule has been adopted but its effective date has not arrived.

Sources

scstatehouse.govSouth Carolina H.4591 — Stop Harm from Addictive Social Media Act (SHASM Act), SC Legislature

Why this status

South Carolina H.4591 (the Stop Harm from Addictive Social Media Act) passed the full House 114–0 on April 1, 2026 and is now in the Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry. The bill carries a stated effective date of January 1, 2027 if enacted, but Senate passage and the Governor's signature are still outstanding. So no new state rule is in force in South Carolina today.

What this means

There is no South Carolina rule on minors and addictive social-media features in force today — only existing federal rules and each platform's own age and consent policies apply.
If enacted, H.4591 would require large social-media platforms to obtain a parent's verifiable consent before a child under 16 can open or keep an account. It would also restrict feed and notification features for users identified as children, and prohibit profile-based paid advertising directed at children.
House passage 114–0 is meaningful — but Senate committee action, a floor vote, and the Governor's signature still need to happen.

What to verify next

Track H.4591 on the South Carolina Legislature site for Senate committee action, floor votes, or the Governor's signature.
Watch companion bill S.1103 for parallel or divergent text — companion bills sometimes move on different timelines and can change the final enacted shape.

How this was scored →