Group representing Meta, TikTok sues Ohio over new law limiting kids’ use of social media

COLUMBUS — A social media group filed a lawsuit against Ohio in an attempt to block the enforcement of the Social Media Parental Notification Act.

The new law goes into effect in two weeks.

The law forces social media platforms to get formal consent from parents before a child under 16 can create a social media account.

Those platforms must also create tools for parents to censor the content their child comes across.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Minors will soon need parental consent to create social media accounts

Friday NetChoice, which represents Meta and TikTok, filed a lawsuit against the State of Ohio.

NetChoice is asking the court to stop the law from going into effect while the lawsuit moves through the legal system.

The group further claims that the law “violates constitutional rights” and “rips away parent’s authority”, according to a social media post by NetChoice.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted released a statement in response to the lawsuit:

“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.”

More information about the law can be found here.

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