Ban of TikTok in schools clears North Carolina House

Use of TikTok through schools, either access or devices, would be prohibited in North Carolina if legislation from the House of Representatives becomes law.

Social Media Literacy in Schools, known also as House Bill 959, was among the final bills passing on to the Senate before crossover day. Authored by Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke, it proposes to “promote internet safety and to provide social media literacy instruction in schools.”

Passage was 112-0 on Wednesday.

TikTok and WeChat were banned from North Carolina government by executive order of then-Gov. Roy Cooper in January 2023.

TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. Previously, state leaders have said they believe the Chinese government could pressure the company to provide data on its U.S. customers that could be used in intelligence operations or to target disinformation.

The section on TikTok says it would be banned, or any successor platform, on devices owned or provided by the local school administrative unit; through internet access provided by the local school administrative unit; or as a platform to communicate or promote any unit or school sponsored club, extracurricular organization, or athletic team.

The proposal says local boards of education are to adopt internet safety policies. Included in that are age-appropriate materials; access security; protocols against hacking; safe measures of students’ personal information; and prevention of social media access except as directed for educational purposes.

The school boards are also to provide instruction on the effects of social media on social health, emotional health and physical effects. Those instructions are to happen once during elementary school, once during middle school, and twice while in high school.

If enacted, the bill would become law immediately for or within the 2025-26 school year.