Lt. Governor HOIA





*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
*January 5, 2024




*MEDIA CONTACT:
*Hayley Carducci | (614) 404-8616






*Husted Releases Statement Following Group Representing Social Media Giants Sues State for Pending Parental Verification Requirement
*

"Law was to go into effect January 15, 2024"

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)?Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted released the following statement after NetChoice, which represents Meta and other social media giants, filed a lawsuit against the state, blocking the enforcement of the Social Media Parental Notification Act. The law requires certain online companies to obtain verifiable parental consent to contractual terms of service before permitting kids under the age of 16 to use their platforms. This proposal was championed by Lt. Governor Husted, passed by the General Assembly, and signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine as part of the 2023-24 executive budget and was to take effect on January 15, 2024.

The law also includes a requirement for companies to provide parents with their privacy guidelines to show them what will be censored or moderated content on their child?s profile.

?This lawsuit is cowardly but not unexpected. The law simply requires parental consent before children under the age of 16 sign up on social media and other online platforms. In filing this lawsuit, these companies are determined to go around parents to expose children to harmful content and addict them to their platforms. These companies know that they are harming our children with addictive algorithms with catastrophic health and mental health outcomes. Research has been very clear about what spending excessive time on these platforms is doing to our kids; they are struggling in school, being bullied, their sleep is being disturbed, they are dealing with body image issues, and much more. They need to drop this lawsuit so that we can move forward with the Social Media Parental Notification Act that makes parents part of the equation.?

*About the Social Media Parental Notification Act:*


* Companies must:
* Create a method to determine whether the user is a child under the age of 16.
* Obtain verifiable parental or legal guardian consent.
* Send written confirmation of the consent to the parent or legal guardian.


* If the user indicates that they are under the age of 16, the following methods can be used for verification:
* Sign a digital form consenting to the terms of service.
* Use a credit card, debit card, or other online payment system.
* Call a toll-free telephone number.
* Connect to trained personnel via video-conference.
* Check a form of government-issued identification.


* Who this includes:
* Social media and online gaming/activities companies accessed by children

* Who this does NOT include:
* E-commerce: Online shopping
* Media outlets

If a parent or legal guardian fails or refuses to consent to the terms of service, the company must deny access or use of the online website, online service, online product, or online feature by the child.?In cases in which operators 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 access. 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 [ [link removed] ].

For more information, read the full text here [ [link removed] ].

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