New law giving parents oversight over their children's social media use takes effect in January

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is making the public aware of a new state law that will give parents oversight of their children's social media use in the new year. 

The Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act was approved by the General Assembly in July, and will take effect on Jan. 15, 2024. 

"This law aims to give parents more control over their children creating new social media accounts," Yost said. "So just like any other time, if you feel like you've been wronged by a company we take those complaints and work to resolve any issues, this is no different."

Once the new law goes into effect, operators have to get parental consent before making social media accounts for children under the age of 16. The parents must also be given a list of censoring or content moderation features.

When parental consent is granted, operators are required to send written confirmation of the account to the parent or legal guardian. If consent is not given, operators have to deny the child access to the social media platform.

If an operator fails to provide notification, or a parent wants to eliminate a child's access, parents should contact the website's operator who will then have 30 days to terminate the child's access. If parents can not get the account deleted, they are encouraged to file a complaint to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

According to the frequently asked questions page on the new law, the law will not apply only to traditional social media companies such as Facebook, Snapchat, Tik Tok, etc. The law may include gaming platforms, or shared message boards that target children or are reasonably anticipated to be accessed by children.

The new law will not require operators to notify parents of accounts that were created before Jan. 15, 2024.