COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies sued Ohio on Friday over a pending law that requires children to get parental consent to use social media apps.

Republican Governor Mike DeWine signed a state budget bill worth $86.1 billion in July, which included a law that is scheduled to go into effect on January 15th. The administration advocated for this measure as a means of safeguarding children’s mental wellbeing. Republican Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted stated that social media is deliberately designed to be addictive and can have negative impacts on kids.

The organization NetChoice brought a legal case against Republican Attorney General Dave Yost in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, in an effort to prevent the law from being enforced.

The lawsuit claims that Ohio’s legislation violates free speech by mandating that social media platforms and gaming applications obtain parental consent for children under the age of 16. It also argues that the law is too broad and lacks clarity.

According to the law, social media platforms must give parents access to their privacy policies. This allows families to understand which content will be filtered or controlled on their child’s profile.

“We, at NetChoice, hold the belief that families who have access to educational resources are competent in deciding the most suitable strategy for utilizing online services and safeguarding their privacy,” stated Chris Marchese, the director of NetChoice’s litigation center. “Through our case, NetChoice v. Yost, we will strive to guarantee that all residents of Ohio can fully utilize digital tools without compromising their privacy, security, and rights.”

The group successfully litigated against comparable limitations in California and Arkansas.

The individual in charge of Ohio’s technology advancements and a strong supporter of the law, Husted, referred to the lawsuit filed on Friday as “cowardly but not unexpected.”

Husted stated in a comment that by initiating this legal action, these businesses are aiming to bypass parental oversight and expose young individuals to dangerous material, ultimately creating a dependency on their platforms.

He claimed that the companies are aware that their algorithms are causing harm to children, resulting in severe physical and mental health consequences.

Source: wral.com