Social Media Parental Notification Act

The Social Media Parental Notification Act is a bill implemented by Ohio's governor that requires online companies to obtain parental consent in order for a minor under the age of 16 to use the platform.

History
The bill was passed on 12 June 2023 by the Ohio congress. Lieutantant governor Jon Husted advocated for the law due to his belief that social media is "designed to be addictive and is harming the mental health of children.".

Controversies
Many critics of the bill saw it as a way to stop minors using the platforms for educational reasons and political activism and to limit free speech of minors and violate the privacy of users. On 9 January 2024, the Ohio court blocked the bill from going into effect calling for a temporary restraining order on it, this was after NetChoice sued the governor of Ohio saying the bill violated the first amendment, fourteenth amendment, and United States federal law. On 12 February, Judge Algenon L. Marbley granted NetChoice a preliminary injunction preventing the act from becoming law. It's been completely blocked by the Judge Algenon L. Marbley stating that the need for parental permission was an undue burden on the rights of platform users.