Social Media Parental Notification Act To Help Safeguard Children From The influence of Social Media Sites.
The Ohio fiscal budget for 2023-24 that was signed into effect earlier this year by Governor Mike DeWine, has incorporated stricter laws to try and safeguard children from the influence of social media. The Ohio’s Social Media Parental Notification Act will go into effect on January 15, 2024.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, 95% of young people ages 13-17, actively use social media. Governor DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted saw the growing need to try and enact legislation to help parents keep their children from harmful effects that social media might have.
The Ohio Social Media Parental Notification Act requires parents of children under 16 years old to give consent for their child to use social media sites such as Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. The consent form must be submitted in written form and signed electronically. Owners of social media platforms are held responsible for developing procedures that will verify if the user of their site is under age 16. Parental consent would be verified through different options, such as signing a digital form online, using online payment system, using a credit card, providing a government ID, or by a video conference with a trained person at the social media platform.
New Act Gives Parents More Control Over Granting Social Media Access To Their Children
Once that occurs, parents can give permission by signing a form electronically that will allow their child to go on the site. If parents do not sign giving permission to their child to use these sites, the social media companies must deny use of their website to the underage child. If social media companies fail to comply with this new law, they could potentially face civil penalties. Gaming platforms, in addition to social media are included, however online shopping sites are exempt.
Joining the Governor and Lt. Governor at the June 12, 2023 press release, were the executive director of Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, Tony Coder and Lori Criss, Director of Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Service. Coder said “I believe that this act that Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted are advocating for will be another way that parents can help their children navigate the very difficult trails of social media…that by knowing the social media platforms that their children are on, they can also monitor and help their child when they see them in a troubling spot on a social media platform.”
More Tools To Monitor Social Media Usage
Lori Criss added that there are other things that parents can do to get more involved. She said, “There are tools that families can use not only to monitor their own child’s social media use to protect their children but also to supervise and parent their children who may be using it in inappropriate ways as well.” She said that there are free online tools for parents needing help on how to talk to their children about this problem. She cited the Center of Excellence Social Media and youth Mental Health Q&A Portal, or using smartphone apps that parents can use to pay for services such as real-time motoring of social media and texts.
The Cyber Dive CEO and co-founder, Jeff Gottfurcht also joined the press conference in support of the law. His company created Aqua One, a smartphone that will help a parent to monitor their kid’s phone usage. The phone is able to track more than 3,700 social media sites to put the parents’ minds at ease. Gottfurcht said, “We wanted parents to have the power and the ability to see who is talking to their kids in the bedroom at night when the door is closed.” In addition the Aqua One also locks the phone three times each day and asks questions to check in on the child’s mental health.
Several states such as Arkansas and Utah have passed regulations to govern children’s social media and internet use. In Montana, Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill back in May of 2023 to ban Tik Tok that was to go into effect Jan. 1, 2024. However a federal judge blocked the law citing violation of the first Amendment.
How parents can protect kids when they go online brochure
In a news source I read from Delaware, Ohio, father Ryan Gill was prompted to create a pledge for his under 16 year old son to keep him off of social media, when he heard about a local boy in the community who took his own life after engaging in conversation with a stranger on Instagram. According to Gill, that 10 year old gave personal family information. It turned out that stranger was a predator and used the information to make the youngster feel that his family was in danger.
The 10 year old did not tell his parents, and felt so guilty that he committed suicide. Gill emailed the pledge to his son’s classmates and most all of the parents in the class had their child sign the pledge. He hopes that this new Ohio law will help parents to gain more awareness of the potential effects from cyberbullying to stranger danger, and encourage parents to sit down with their child and really have a discussion about it.
At the press release Gov. DeWine said “It is of national significance and it would seem to me it would be very appropriate for the Congress to take hearings on this and for Congress to take action.” Lt. Gov. Husted said, “We’re going to get it done state by state until we force the issue to occur or hopefully the companies are going to go begging the federal government.”
Click here to read a brochure by the Ohio Attorney General about how parents can protect kids when they go online.
Click here to read this new law.
Ohio Family Law Blog and the Social Media Parental Notification Act
Parents can’t be too vigilant to help protect their children from online harm. As part of its mission, the Ohio Family Law Blog helps share valuable information about new laws affecting our children and families.
Please consider joining or following us!
© 2024, Ohio Family Law Blog. All rights reserved.
Attorney Robert “Chip” Mues has been focusing his legal practice throughout Southwest Ohio primarily in divorce and family law matters since 1978. Chip is passionate about family law and has proudly published the Ohio Family Law Blog since 2007. In addition, he is the managing partner of Holzfaster, Cecil, McKnight & Mues. To learn more about him or the law firm, visit the firm’s website at www.hcmmlaw.com. Appointments are available in person, over the phone or by Zoom. Call us at 937 293-2141.
