Supreme Court Weighs Children's Free Speech Amid Tech Legal Battles

WHO:

Fast Company - The trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta, and other major tech companies is called NetChoice.

Fast Company - Paul Taske is the director of the NetChoice Litigation Center.

Fast Company - Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed the law into effect.

Fast Company - Then-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, now a U.S. senator, commented on the law.

Fast Company - Republican Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson called the ruling a win for Ohio families.

WHAT:

Fast Company - The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Ohio's law requiring children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps must be restored.

Fast Company - The law is known as the Social Media Parental Notification Act.

Fast Company - The law was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill.

Fast Company - The court's decision was a 2-1 ruling.

Fast Company - The law requires companies to obtain parental permission for social media and gaming apps.

WHERE:

Fast Company - The ruling was made by the Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Fast Company - The law pertains to Ohio.

WHEN:

Fast Company - The law was signed into law in July 2023.

Fast Company - NetChoice brought suit against Ohio's law in 2024.

WHY:

Fast Company - The law was pushed as a way to protect children's mental health.

Fast Company - Jon Husted stated that social media was "intentionally addictive" and harmful to kids.

Fast Company - The court found that the law addresses the problem of children's unsupervised assent to terms and conditions on social media platforms.

HOW:

Fast Company - The law mandates that social media companies provide their privacy guidelines to families.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 16:00 UTC)

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Ohio's Social Media Parental Notification Act, which requires children under 16 to obtain parental consent to use social media and gaming apps, must be restored. This decision, made by a 2-1 vote, comes after the law was signed into effect by Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and is part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill. The court emphasized that the law aims to protect children's mental health by addressing the issue of unsupervised access to social media platforms.