Law requiring parental approval for minor social media use blocked by judge

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The state law requiring social media companies obtain parental consent for kids under 16 before setting up an account was repealed by a judge.

In a court filing, the judge agreed with the argument that this requirement was vague and unconstitutional, saying the law is permanently repealed.

The Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act was approved in July of 2023. The requirements were as follows:

• Operators must obtain parental consent before establishing accounts for children under the age of 16
• Operators must present parents with a list of censoring or content moderation features
• When consent is granted, operators must then send written confirmation of the account to the parent or legal guardian
• When consent is not given, operators must deny the child access to the platform
• If parents are unsuccessful in the account being deleted, they are encouraged to file a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at OhioProtects.org
• The new law does not require operators to notify parents about accounts created before Jan. 15, 2024

At the time, lawmakers said the law was supposed to help young children navigate the difficulties social media can provide.

Below is a comment from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine:

“We know how harmful social media is to children without parental involvement. This law is a commonsense solution that allows social media usage by a child under the permission of a parent, just like going on a school field trip or participating in youth sports. This ruling should be appealed.”