COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost advises the public on a new law giving parents oversight of their children’s use of social media.

What You Need To Know

  • The Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act will take effect on Jan. 15, 2024

  • Operators will have to get parental consent for establishing accounts under the age of  16

  • For more information on the law, please visit Ohioprotects.org and view the frequently asked questions

The Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act 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.”

Yost will enforce this law, which applies to websites, services and products that are targeted to children.

Operators will have to get parental consent for establishing accounts under the age of  16. They also must present parents with a list of censoring or content moderation features.

If the operator fails to provide parental consent or a parent wishes to terminate access, parents should contact the website operator. If parents are unsuccessful in the account being deleted, they are encouraged to file a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at OhioProtects.org.

The new law does not require operators to notify parents about accounts created before Jan. 15, 2024.

For more information on the law, please visit Ohioprotects.org and view the frequently asked questions.