Ohio awaits ruling on youth social media law

• The rules would apply only to new accounts made after Jan. 15, with civil penalties issued to non-compliant platforms.
• Enforcement is paused while a court hears a legal challenge from NetChoice, a trade group representing major sites like TikTok and Facebook.

The other side: NetChoice claims the law unconstitutionally undermines children's free speech rights and doesn't clearly define which companies have to comply.

• And it notes enforcement would be difficult, such as when one parent consents but another does not.
• Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who backs the law, previously acknowledged to Axios that children could lie when asked to verify their age or impersonate their "consenting" parent.

What they're saying: Husted called the lawsuit "cowardly but not unexpected ...

• "[T]hese companies are determined to go around parents to expose children to harmful content and addict them to their platforms," he said in a statement.

What's next: A hearing on the preliminary injunction temporarily blocking enforcement is slated for Feb. 7 in federal court.