Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association sent a letter to Ohio lawmakers Thursday to express concerns about a section added to the state’s appropriations bill that would put data privacy and information access at risk for internet users in the state.
Ohio’s HB 33 establishes operating appropriations for fiscal years 2024-2025. Newly-added Section 1349.09 by the Senate Finance Committee would create liability for digital services for age verification and parental approval for young internet users in an attempt to protect children from online harms. Unfortunately, the provision would inevitably result in companies being required to collect additional information about all users, including both children and adults, and may result in shutting down services for all users under 16. CCIA also expressed concerns regarding content moderation disclosures and compliance burdens.
CCIA shares lawmakers’ concerns for children’s online safety and supports enhanced privacy measures for teens, but policies like Section 1349.09 of Ohio’s HB 33 risk leading to additional data collection and cutting off young users from vital information and services online.
The following can be attributed to CCIA State Policy Manager Jordan Rodell:
“This proposal does not achieve the shared goal of keeping children and teens safe online, and may actually put Ohioans at greater risk of harm. The proposal is not properly vetted, and instead, has been added to HB 33 last-minute in an effort to evade public discussion by burying the proposal in a bill over 5,000 pages long. We will continue to support privacy legislation that protects online users, provides clear compliance guidelines for businesses, and does not conflict with data minimization principles. Unfortunately, this proposal falls short of those basic requirements.”