Netchoice v. Yost Amicus Brief
Ohio passed the Social Media Parental Notification Act, requiring social-media companies to obtain “verifiable parental consent” before allowing anyone under 16 to use their platforms. Woodhull Freedom Foundation joined a group of civil-liberties and tech-rights organizations, including the ACLU, EFF, CDT, the Freedom to Read Foundation, and LGBT Tech, in filing a friend-of-the-court brief asking the appeals court to keep blocking that law.
Woodhull filed our brief because social media is today’s public square, and must be kept free and accessible to everyone. Young people and adults use it to learn, create art, practice faith, find health and safety information, connect with their community, and speak up about politics. Those are protected forms of speech. Ohio’s law would wrongly limit access to a lot of lawful content, not just harmful material. It also pressures platforms to verify everyone’s age and identity, which would result in many people losing access, ending online anonymity, and facing increased privacy risks and data leaks.
The brief explains that courts have already rejected similar laws. When the government limits speech based on the kind of content or who is allowed to see it, it has to pass the toughest constitutional test. This law fails to pass constitutional muster. It would silence both teens who can’t clear the new hurdles and adults who won’t hand over sensitive personal data to use social media.
Sexual freedom depends on free expression and access to information. Age and ID-checks are often used first to block sexual-health resources, LGBTQ+ content, and sex-education and harm-reduction materials—content people need to stay informed and safe. We’re standing up to keep the internet open so everyone can learn, connect, and speak without harmful barriers.