Judge blocks Ohio’s online parental consent law

A federal judge has struck down an Ohio law that would’ve required children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media platforms. In a decision on Wednesday, US District Court Judge Algenon Marbley ruled that the law is unconstitutional, saying it violates the First Amendment.

Signed in 2023, Ohio’s Social Media Parental Notification Act was set to come into force on January 15th, 2024. However, the Big Tech-backed interest group NetChoice challenged the law and won a temporary restraining order blocking it.