Ohio will not require parental consent for children under 16 to access social media after a federal judge struck down the law.
The Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act was passed by Ohio lawmakers back in July 2023, and was set to come into effect on January 15, 2024. It would have required children under the age of 16 to get parental consent to use social media platforms.
NetChoice, a group backed by some of the biggest brand names in tech, challenged the law soon after and won a temporary restraining order that prevented it from taking effect as planned.
It’s been tied up in the courts ever since, but a federal court decision on April 16, 2025, sealed the fate of Ohio’s social media law.
Judge strikes down Ohio social media law
According to NetChoice, US District Court Judge Algenon Marbley ruled that the law is unconstitutional and that it violates the First Amendment right to free speech. This decision blocks the law from taking effect permanently.
“This case resides at the intersection of two unquestionable rights: the rights of children to ‘a significant measure of’ freedom of speech and expression under the First Amendment, and the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children free from unnecessary governmental intrusion,” said Judge Marbley.
NetChoice director of litigation, Chris Marchese, added: “The decision confirms that the First Amendment protects both websites’ right to disseminate content and Americans’ right to engage with protected speech online, and policymakers must respect constitutional rights when legislating.”
This comes as various social apps have faced lawsuits over the safety of children on their apps. TikTok, for example, is being sued by 13 states in the US over claims that auto-scrolling videos and beauty filters harm children on its platform.
Most recently, popular messaging app Discord was hit with a lawsuit from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin who claimed the company failed to prevent children under 13 years old from accessing the app.
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.