OHIO, USA — A new Ohio law that gives parents oversight of their children’s use of social media websites is set to take effect in the new year.
The Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act will take effect on Jan. 15, 2024.
The act, passed by Gov. Mike DeWine in July, requires that minors under 16 get their parent's permission before using social media. Social media platform owners will be responsible for developing procedures for verifying whether a user is under 16, securing verifiable consent from parents or guardians and submitting a written confirmation of consent.
Apps and websites for online shopping are exempt from the prohibition.
“This law aims to give parents more control over their children creating new social media accounts,” Attorney General Dave Yost said. “So just like any other time, if you feel like you’ve been wronged by a company, we take those complaints and work to resolve any issues – this is no different.”
Beginning Jan. 15, platform owners must obtain parental consent before establishing accounts for children under the age of 16. They also must present parents with a list of censoring or content moderation features.
When consent is granted, platform owners must then send written confirmation of the account to the parent or legal guardian. If consent is not given, operators must deny the child access to the platform.
In cases in which platform owners fail to provide notification or a parent wishes to terminate a child's access, parents should contact the website operator who then has 30 days to terminate the child’s account access.
For further information regarding the act, click here.