On February 5, 2026, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed H. 3431, Age-Appropriate Code Design (SC AACD) into law, becoming the fifth state to enact an age-appropriate design code law after California, Maryland, Nebraska, and Vermont.¹ The law, which went into immediate effect upon the governor’s signature, adds to the steadily increasing patchwork of teens’ and children’s online safety legislation in the U.S. Notably, covered online services are liable for treble damages incurred as result of a violation of the statute. Further, officers and employees may be held personally liable for “wil[l]ful and wanton” violations of the SC AACD. The law is already facing a legal challenge by a trade association.Continue Reading South Carolina Becomes Fifth State to Enact Age-Appropriate Design Code Law