Phil Plummer | The Ohio House of Representatives
Phil Plummer | The Ohio House of Representatives
State Representatives Heidi Workman and Phil Plummer have introduced House Bill 302, aimed at enhancing online safety for children. The bill proposes a framework to improve age assurance requirements and provide families with safer digital tools.
The legislation seeks to assign responsibilities to app developers, app stores, and parents, ensuring minors receive appropriate protections without extensive data-sharing mandates. Rep. Workman stated, “We’ve all seen the risks kids face online—whether it’s exposure to explicit content, manipulative advertising, or interactions with strangers... It creates a collaborative system where app stores provide secure infrastructure, developers apply age-appropriate safeguards, and parents stay in control of their children’s experience.”
House Bill 302 mandates that app stores support parental dashboards and offer minimal age signals without sharing sensitive data. Developers who opt-in must implement safety controls like gating adult content or disabling targeted ads for minors.
Rep. Plummer commented on the bill's impact: “House Bill 302 will protect children and their data with appropriate age verification... It will allow parents total control through a single dashboard.”
The proposal has been praised for its practical approach that avoids broad mandates and focuses on real-world implementation. Developed through discussions with technology experts, privacy advocates, and Ohio parents, the bill now awaits further review by the House Judiciary Committee.
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