Lawsuit Filed by TikTok, Meta, X Group Against US State Over Restrictive Measures on Children’s Social Media Access
A lawsuit has been filed by a trade group consisting of TikTok, Snapchat, Meta, and other prominent tech companies against Ohio regarding a forthcoming law that mandates parental consent for children to use social media apps. The group argues that this law, which is part of Ohio’s broader legislation requiring social media companies to obtain parental permission for children under 16 to join social media and gaming apps, violates free speech rights as it is excessively broad and unclear. Additionally, the law necessitates social media companies to furnish parents with their privacy guidelines, enabling families to be aware of the content that will be censored or moderated on their child’s profile.
“At NetChoice, we believe that families equipped with educational resources can determine for themselves the best approach to online services and privacy,” Chris Marchese, director of the organization’s Litigation Center, said in a statement. “With NetChoice v. Yost, we aim to ensure that all Ohioans can embrace digital tools without compromising their privacy, security and rights.”
The group has won lawsuits against similar restrictions in California and Arkansas.
Husted, who heads Ohio’s technology initiatives and advocates for the law, called Friday’s lawsuit “cowardly but not unexpected.”
“In filing this lawsuit, these companies have chosen to circumvent parents in order to expose children to harmful content and get them addicted to their platforms,” Husted said in a statement.
He claimed that companies know their algorithms are harming children with “catastrophic health and mental health effects”.
