U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley permanently overturned an Ohio law mandating parental consent for minors' social media use, citing violations of free speech rights. The lawsuit, brought by NetChoice on behalf of major tech firms like TikTok and Meta, argued the law was overly broad and vague. While acknowledging the state's intention to protect children from social media's dangers, Judge Marbley emphasized that governmental measures must comply with constitutional principles. The law's implementation was set for January 2024, but was halted by Marbley's decision, following similar successful challenges in other states.
This court finds, however, that the Act as drafted fails to pass constitutional muster and is constitutionally infirm, even if the government's most noble entreaties to protect its citizenry must abide by the U.S. Constitution.
The law was originally set to take effect Jan. 15, 2024, and it sought to require companies to get parental permission for social media and gaming apps.
Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's spokesperson stated that they're reviewing the decision and will determine the next steps concerning the struck-down law.
The Social Media Parental Notification Act was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill that was promoted to safeguard children's mental health.
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