According to Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, if lawmakers do not pass a separate bill that includes the requirement for verified parental consent prior to children’s use of social media by June 30th, lawmakers should add it back into the state budget due for Governor Mike DeWine‘s signature by that date.
“The Lt. Governor’s support for the Social Media Parental Notification Act remains very strong and he will continue to advocate for its passage this spring. The budget, along with the social media provision, is currently under consideration in the Senate and we are urging members’ support there as well,” Husted spokesperson Haley Carducci told The Star.
In February, Husted spearheaded the Social Media Parental Notification Act which would require certain online companies to obtain verified parental consent before permitting kids ages 16 and under to use their platforms.
The act requires social media and online companies to create a parental consent splash page when users under 16 years old register for an account, obtain verifiable parental or legal guardian consent and send written confirmation of the consent to the parent or legal guardian.
If the user indicates that they are under the age of 16 via the splash page the following methods can be used for verification: Signing a digital form consenting to the terms of service, using a credit card, debit card, or another online payment system, call a toll-free telephone number, connect to trained personnel via video-conference, or check a form of government-issued identification.
If a parent or legal guardian fails or refuses to consent to the terms of service, the company must deny access or use of the online website, online service, online product, or online feature by the child.
DeWine included the Social Media Parental Notification Act in the executive budget for 2023-24 which he submitted to the Ohio General Assembly in February.
Last week, the House Finance Committee removed the proposal from the budget in favor of a potential separate bill.
“The Lt. Governor supports passage of the legislation in the quickest way possible. If a stand-alone bill gains traction before the deadline to sign the budget into law on June 30th, we will gladly support that solution,” Carducci told The Ohio Star.
According to Husted, Ohio parents need tools to protect their children from the harmful effects of social media.
“Social media platforms like TikTok are bombarding our kids with information we, as parents, wouldn’t necessarily want them to see with things like eating disorders, gender reassignment, suicide, and more. You wouldn’t let a stranger come into your child’s bedroom and start talking to them, but that’s exactly what’s happening online. Strangers are contacting our children and they don’t always have the best intentions,” Husted said.
According to Husted, many of the mental health issues children are facing directly tie to these social media companies that are profiting off of Ohio children. They are compiling information on them, promoting harmful content, and they are adding dangerous, addicting algorithms to the platforms without taking any action to safeguard the users.
“Social media companies are making billions from products that can be very harmful to our kids, and we need to give parents more tools to protect their children,” Husted said.
The Ohio attorney general’s office would have been in charge of implementing the new rule under the original proposal, but some lawmakers are now considering allowing parents to directly sue social media firms for violations.
“The framework that was set forward in the governor’s budget was you had to go to the attorney general, and the attorney general had to choose to take your case up and it was really out of people’s hands. We think people should be able to make those decisions,” House Finance Committee Chair Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) said.
Recently, Montana lawmakers made history by becoming the first state to adopt a law completely outlawing TikTok. Before becoming a law, the governor must sign it. Because the Chinese government controls a portion of the popular app, there have been concerns about international security.
In January, DeWine issued an executive order forbidding the use of TikTok or other platforms and applications held by an entity located in China on all state-owned or leased devices. The executive order did not address the use by private citizens.
Two Republican Ohio House Representatives introduced legislation earlier this month that would cement that executive order into state law.
Depending on the state, lawmakers have passed different parental-consent regulations that go well beyond TikTok in Utah, California, and Arkansas. Curfews, who has the right to sue over infractions, and how providers are required to disable algorithms that target advertising at users are all governed differently by the laws.
According to Husted, he anticipates working with the General Assembly and hopes for lawmakers to pass the legislation one way or another before the summer.
“We look forward to working with the General Assembly and these companies to open the conversation and find the best solution to protect our kids,” Husted told The Ohio Star.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Jon Husted” by Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted. Background Photo “Child Using Phone for Social Media” by Katerina Holmes.
