a federal judgeOverturned an Ohio lawA law that requires children under 16 to obtain parental consent when using social media platforms. U.S. District Court Judge Algenon MarbleyWednesday's rulingChina ruled that the law was unconstitutional and violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Ohio's Social Media Parental Notification Act was signed into law in 2023 and was originally scheduled to take effect on January 15, 2024. However, NetChoice, an interest group backed by big tech companies, challenged the bill and obtained a temporary restraining order blocking its implementation. The new ruling permanently blocks the bill from taking effect.
"This case involves the intersection of two unquestionable rights: the right of children to a 'substantial degree' of freedom of speech and expression under the First Amendment, and the right of parents to guide their children's development without unnecessary government interference," Judge Mabley wrote.
Last month, NetChoice successfully blocked Arkansas' age verification law permanently and won a preliminary injunction preventing California's landmark online child safety law from taking effect. NetChoice also recently filed a lawsuit to block Maryland's Children's Code from taking effect, citing concerns that the law infringes on free speech.
"This ruling affirms that the First Amendment protects websites' rights to disseminate content and Americans' rights to express protected speech online, and that policymakers must respect constitutional rights when legislating," Chris Marchese, director of litigation at NetChoice, said in the group's statement.