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3 things to know about Ohio’s new Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act

By Kelcey Norris Mahoning Matters

December 28, 2023 12:52 PM

A new state law goes into effect in Ohio Jan. 15 giving parents oversight of their children’s use of social media.

It’s called the Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act.

“This law aims to give parents more control over their children creating new social media accounts,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

How does it work?

Starting Jan. 15, operators have to get consent from parents before establishing accounts for children under the age of 16 on their websites.

These website operators also have to provide parents with features to censor or moderate content.

Who is considered a social media ‘operator?’

According to OhioProtects, an operator is anyone who “operates an online website, service or product that allows users to do all of the following:

“Interact socially with other users on the website, service or product.
Create a public or semipublic profile to sign into and use the website, service or product.
Populate a list of other users with whom they share a connection within the website, service or product.
Create or post content viewable by others – for example, on message boards, chat rooms, video channels, direct messages, or a main feed that contains content generated by others on the website, service or product.”

The Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act applies to a large number of online platforms and social media channels often used by children, including shared message boards.

There’s a Frequently Asked Questions page on Ohio Protects that outlines how the law applies to different circumstances.

What rights do parents have against operators?

Parental consent and communication are major components of the Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act

Website operators have to send written confirmation of the account to the parent or legal guardian when consent is granted.

When consent is not given, operators have to deny the child access to the platform; they can’t use the website without adult approval.

If you do not give your consent, the operator must deny the child use or access of the website.

If an operator fails to provide notification, or if a parent wishes to stop granting access to a website for their underage users, here’s what to do:

Contact the website operator to cancel the account.
The operator has 30 days to cancel the user’s access.
If parents are unsuccessful in the account being deleted, they can file a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at OhioProtects.org.

“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,” said Yost

The new law doesn’t apply to accounts created before Jan. 15, according to OhioProtects.