Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association submitted a veto request letter to South Carolina’s Gov. Henry McMaster, expressing concerns about the Age-Appropriate Design Code Act. HB 3431 raises significant questions about privacy and data security. CCIA also said the bill’s method of designating covered services violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments. While other states have considered AADC bills, this one is unusually broad and could extend to vast numbers of small businesses, even ones that primarily operate offline.
CCIA’s letter cites a 2024 Supreme Court case in which CCIA was the co-plaintiff. The Supreme Court ruled that “regulating the content-moderation policies that the major platforms use for their feeds… to change the speech that will be displayed there… is a preference” that states “may not impose.” HB 3431 would violate this by mandating design requirements and prohibiting common features like notifications and engagement mechanisms.
The following can be attributed to CCIA State Policy Manager Tom Mann:
“We support stronger privacy and safety protocols for younger internet users and also recognize they have rights to access information that apply to any U.S. citizen. We would encourage the governor to veto this bill and ensure a future law supports both online safety and strong data privacy protections — without infringing on users’ Constitutional rights.”
