Judge blocks Ohio law requiring parental permission for kids to use social media

A federal judge has indefinitely blocked Ohio’s law requiring parents to sign off on their teen’s new social media accounts.

Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley granted a preliminary injunction Monday, preventing the law from taking effect while attorneys debate whether Ohio can restrict childrens’ access to social media. He concluded that Ohio’s law would violate minors’ First Amendment rights.

The law, which was set to take effect mid-January, would require social media companies to get parental consent before allowing kids under the age of 16 to use their platforms. Companies that don’t comply could face lawsuits and fines.

But NetChoice, a trade association that represents Meta, TikTok and other technology companies, challenged the law in federal court, arguing that Ohio was violating teens’ First Amendment rights. Attorneys expressed concern about how broadly the law was written, including not only Facebook and Instagram but also YouTube, gaming sites, online journaling websites and more.

Attorneys defending the social media restrictions argued Ohio had the right to limit children’s access to social media because of the harm it could cause. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned that social media may perpetuate body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors and low self-esteem, especially among young girls.

Ultimately, Marbley ruled that Ohio might have gone too far: “Foreclosing minors under 16 from accessing all content on websites that the Act purports to cover, absent affirmative parental consent, is a breathtakingly blunt instrument for reducing social media’s harm to children.”

Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.