Overview
- The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled Thursday, reversed a lower-court injunction and held 2-1 that Ohio may enforce its 2023 Social Media Parental Notification Act.
- The law requires platforms to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for anyone under 16 and uses an 11-factor test to decide which sites are covered while listing several exceptions.
- Judge Eric Clay wrote the lead opinion saying the parental-consent rule is a marginal burden narrowly aimed at protecting children, and a dissenting judge warned the law likely restricts minors’ access to protected speech.
- Ohio officials hailed the decision as a win for parents, and NetChoice, the tech trade group representing firms like Meta and TikTok, said it will seek further review and argued the law threatens privacy and First Amendment rights.
- The appeals ruling lets the state move to reinstate enforcement as the case returns to the district court and sets up more litigation that could force platforms to build age‑verification systems and reshape national regulatory debates.