Without the need for parental permission, minors under 16 can now use social media, following a decision by a federal judge that overturned the previous law.
In simpler terms, a law called the Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act was approved by Ohio legislators in July 2023. This law was planned to be implemented on January 15, 2024. The purpose of this law was to mandate that children under 16 years old must obtain parental approval before they can use social media sites.
Tech-backed group NetChoice successfully contested the law right after its enactment, securing a preliminary injunction which temporarily halted its implementation.
Since then, it has been stuck in legal proceedings, but on April 16, 2025, a federal court ruling ultimately put an end to Ohio’s social media legislation.
Judge strikes down Ohio social media law
As per NetChoice, Judge Algenon Marbley of the U.S. District Court found the law in question to be unconstitutional, as it infringes upon the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment. Consequently, this ruling prevents the law from being implemented permanently.
According to Judge Marbley, this case is located where two indisputable rights meet: the right of children to enjoy a substantial degree of freedom of speech and expression, as guaranteed by the First Amendment, and the right of parents to oversee their children’s upbringing without undue governmental interference.
The ruling verifies that the First Amendment safeguards not only websites’ ability to share content but also American citizens’ freedom to interact with constitutionally-protected online speech. It’s crucial for lawmakers to uphold these constitutional rights while creating laws. (Chris Marchese, NetChoice director of litigation)
Consequently, multiple social media platforms have been subject to legal action due to concerns about child safety within their applications. For instance, TikTok finds itself embroiled in a lawsuit by 13 U.S. states due to allegations that their auto-playing videos and beauty filters may negatively impact children using the platform.
In recent times, the well-known messaging platform Discord found itself facing a legal action initiated by the New Jersey Attorney General, Matthew J. Platkin. The claim was that the company did not take adequate measures to stop minors under 13 years old from using the application.
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2025-04-18 23:48