Packingham v. North Carolina, is a United States Supreme Court decision holding that a North Carolina statute that prohibited sex offenders from accessing social media websites violated the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The high court ruled unanimously in favor of those on the registry that access to social media prohibits free speech.

However, shortly after. NC lawmakers created what was then known as Senate Bill 199. In that bill is language that prohibits registrants in North Carolina from accessing a website that specifically bans anyone convicted of a sexual offense with a minor from accessing social media sites that ban offenders as a part of its terms of agreement.

Despite the Packingham ruling, those on the registry in NC may access social media, as long as the registrant informs the Sheriff. However, it makes it a felony if those sites are Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, MeetMe, and a few others. So far Twitter and Google is fine to use.

While the court ruled in 2017 on Packingham, Governor Cooper signed Senate Bill 199 on 11/7/2019, somewhat turning back the clock once again in our state.

There is a bill in congress introduced by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham that could affect social media standards by anyone on the registry. We are following that bill during the Covid-19 pandemic.