US court allows Ohio to restrict minors’ social media use

A US appeals court on Thursday ruled that Ohio can enforce a 2024 law requiring platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to obtain parental consent before allowing children under 16 to create or use accounts.

The court overturned a lower-court decision that had paused the legislation. It rejected arguments from tech industry trade group NetChoice, ruling that the law does not violate First Amendment free speech protections.

Internationally, the UAE became the first Arab country to regulate underage social media use.

Teenagers aged 15 and 16 will be permitted to use social media platforms under enhanced safeguards, including age-appropriate content filters, limits on interactions with unknown users, screen-time controls, and parental oversight tools.

Social media companies have 12 months to enforce the rules. They are also required to deactivate existing under-15 accounts and are prohibited from using minors’ data for behavioral profiling or targeted ads.