S0736 would add a new section to the South Carolina Code requiring certain online companies that offer social media, streaming, gaming, or chatroom services to provide parents of minor users with a parental control option to opt out of content that is sexual in nature and content that features transgender individuals. The bill specifically names platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, Disney+, Roblox, and Hulu as examples of covered services, but the requirement applies more broadly to online companies with minor users.
The bill also creates enforcement mechanisms. A company that violates the requirement would commit a misdemeanor and be subject to a $200-per-day fine for each noncompliant account. In addition, the bill authorizes private individuals to sue for violations and, if successful, recover actual damages, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, and attorney’s fees and litigation costs. The act would take effect upon approval by the Governor.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would impose new compliance obligations on covered online platforms operating in South Carolina, requiring them to build or expand parental control tools tied to specific categories of content. It would also create a new state-law penalty scheme and a private right of action, exposing companies to both criminal fines and civil litigation. The bill would affect platform operators, parents of minors, and potentially content moderation and product design practices for digital services used by children and teens.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed as a parental-control and child-protection bill, suggesting support from lawmakers concerned about what minors can access online. No committee transcripts or vote history were provided, so there is no recorded debate or roll-call evidence here to show broader legislative sentiment. The caption and structure indicate the bill is presented as a consumer/parental choice measure rather than a general content restriction on adults.
Contention
The most notable point of contention is the bill’s requirement to allow parents to opt out not only of sexual content but also of content that features transgender individuals, which is likely to raise constitutional, discrimination, and free-speech concerns. Another likely point of dispute is the breadth of the covered platforms and the practical difficulty of implementing account-level content filtering across streaming, gaming, and social media services. The private right of action and daily misdemeanor fines also create significant enforcement exposure for companies, which could be a major concern for industry stakeholders.