Federal Judge Halts Ohio Law Requiring Parental Consent for Kids' Social Media Use

The lawsuit, brought by tech trade group NetChoice, argues the law is unconstitutional and impedes free speech.

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order against an Ohio law that would require children to get parental consent to use social media apps. The law was set to take effect on January 15.
The law was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in July. The administration pushed the measure as a way to protect children's mental health.
The lawsuit against the law was brought by NetChoice, a trade group representing major tech companies including TikTok, Snapchat, Meta, and others. The group argues that the law unconstitutionally impedes free speech and is overbroad and vague.
The law also mandates that social media companies provide parents with their privacy guidelines, so that families can know what content will be censored or moderated on their child's profile.
NetChoice has previously won lawsuits against similar restrictions in California and Arkansas.