U.S. court rules Ohio can restrict children's use of social media
A U.S. appeals court has ruled that Ohio can enforce a law requiring parental consent for children under 16 to use social media platforms. The decision overturns a lower court's injunction and represents a significant legal victory for state-level efforts to regulate tech companies' impact on youth mental health.
Why it matters
This ruling sets a legal precedent for state-level regulation of social media companies and highlights the ongoing tension between tech industry free speech claims and child safety protections.
Ohio can implement a law requiring social media companies, including Meta Platforms’ Instagram, to obtain parental consent before allowing children under 16 to use their platforms, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday. A 2-1 panel of the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower-court ruling that had put the law on hold at the request of the tech industry trade group NetChoice.
The article presents both the court's reasoning and the tech industry's opposition, maintaining a balanced reporting style.
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