House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Amends new GS 75-152 by deleting defined term commerce and adding defined term Department (NC  Department of Commerce). Amends term large social media platform to specify that the service must have more than 30,000 monthly active users in the State (was, 1 million monthly active users in the United States) or generates more than $15 million in annual gross revenue from activities in the State (was, had to generate more than $500 million in annual gross revenue, adjusted annually for inflation). Amends term large social media provider to specify that the term does not include the following: (1) an Internet service provider, electronic mail, or online service application; (2) a website consisting primarily of news, sports, entertainment, or other information or content that is not user generated but is preselected or curated by the provider and for which chat, comment, or interactive functionality is incidental to, directly related to, or dependent on the provision of that information or content; (3) interactive video game service; or (4) e-commerce or online shopping. Amends definition of third-party safety software provider to delete requirement that the person is engaging for commercial purposes or affecting commerce.

Amends new GS 75-155 (was enforcement) to pertain to permits and rulemaking. Requires every large social media platform provider to obtain a permit from the Department before operating in the State. Requires a nonrefundable application fee of $1,000. Requires annual renewal with same fee. Provides for a form. Requires that the application must contain enough information to confirm compliance with the act. Permits the Department to retain the fees and use them for its operations and to issue rules to implement the act. Reorganizes the enforcement provision to GS 75-156.