Ohio House bill would mandate addiction warnings on social media platforms
Bipartisan Ohio legislation would force social media platforms to warn users about addictive features like autoplay and push notifications.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Ohio lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation requiring social media platforms to display warning labels when their features could promote addictive behavior, marking the state’s latest effort to address concerns about technology’s impact on mental health.
State Rep. Christine Cockley (D-Columbus) and state Rep. Jodi Salvo (R-Bolivar) introduced the bill following growing evidence that certain social media features can harm users, particularly young people with developing brains.
“Autoplay where you don’t even have to interact, you’re just staring at it and it does its thing,” Cockley said, describing how she became trapped in endless scrolling cycles that worsened her anxiety and depression.
Warning System Would Target Addictive Features
Under the proposed legislation, social media companies would be required to display pop-up warnings when their platforms include features deemed addictive. “There’s some type of pop-up that says, ‘Hey, by the way, this is a platform that might have addictive tendencies,'” Cockley explained.
The bill specifically targets features like autoplay, push notifications and like counts, which Case Western Reserve University Technology Law Professor Raymond Ku said are designed to keep users engaged. “Social media was designed and is designed in a way to keep you on social media,” Ku said.
The Ohio Department of Behavioral Health would receive authority to design the warning labels under the legislation.
Legal Precedent and Industry Response
The bill comes as courts increasingly recognize social media addiction claims. A California jury recently awarded a woman millions after she successfully argued that Meta’s Instagram and Facebook platforms and Google’s YouTube got her addicted to social media as a child.
Dozens of studies from hospitals and universities show that social media can negatively impact mental health, providing scientific backing for the legislators’ concerns.
Major social media companies did not respond to requests for comment, with the exception of Meta, which declined to comment. Ku noted that companies typically argue they already disclose risks when users download their apps.
“In their defense, their best argument is, ‘We become ‘addicted’ to things, because of the convenience they provide, right?’ And once we have that convenience, there’s no way we’re going back,” Ku said.
Enforcement and Broader Applications
Companies would face $5,000 fines for each violation of the law, though Cockley is still debating whether penalties should apply per person or per incident.
The broad language of the bill could extend beyond traditional social media platforms to include gaming sites or gambling platforms, which already have their own warning requirements, according to Ku.
“We can create guard rails,” Cockley said, emphasizing the need for protective measures as technology continues to evolve and impact users’ mental health.
