Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, along with the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, held a press conference to discuss proposed legislation that would give parents more control in how their children use social media.

"We know that these technologies are negatively affecting our teens and adolescents from a mental and physical point of view," Husted said.  "The evidence is clear...it's leading to the deaths of young people."

Submitted as part of the Governor’s 2023-24 executive budget, the Social Media Parental Notification Act, the bill would require social media companies like Facebook (Meta), YouTube and Twitter to create a method to determine whether the user is a child under the age of 16.

It also would require social media companies to obtain verifiable parental consent to contractual terms of service before permitting kids under the age of 16 to use their platforms.

According to the bill, if the user indicates that they are under the age of 16 via the splash page, the following methods can be used for verification:

1. sign a digital form consenting to the terms of service;
2. use a credit card, debit card, or other online payment system;
3. call a toll-free telephone number;
4. connect to trained personnel via video-conference; or
5. check a form of government-issued identification.

"Parental permission is the key to this," Husted said. 

While the act focuses on social media, it also targets video game services like Xbox Live and Playstation Network. Online shopping is exempt from this legislation.

The Ohio Senate has included this proposal in its 2023-2024 budget. If approved, it would take affect July 1 and give social media companies 90 days to comply with the legislation.