To The editor:

When I founded Moving Wellsville Forward, it was about keeping our youth connected to their community. As a former councilman and school board member, I’m watching very closely how Ohio’s legislature is currently considering legislation to protect kids online, and right now there’s two competing approaches to using age verification to give parents more visibility as to what platforms their kids are using online.

One, Senate Bill 167, is straightforward, the other, House Bill 302, is going to create a miserable headache for the parents it’s supposed to empower.

S.B. 167 keeps things simple — app stores verify age and notify parents when kids want to download apps. One system, one notification. It’s like getting alerts for in-app purchases, which already works fine.

H.B. 302 would require every app, browser, and operating system to collect our kids’ personal information. That’s not just complicated — it’s risky. Each company becomes another potential data breach waiting to happen.

During my time on the school board, I focused on giving Wellsville students a good foundation for life. Part of that means teaching responsible online habits through parental guidance, not government red tape.

A bill that forces parents to navigate a whole new layer of complex, government mandated parental controls is going to make even the most involved guardians throw in the towel. And that’s terrible news for kids who need online support – whether for mental health, family problems, or other challenges.

We need to move forward with smart solutions that make it easy for families to stay safe and connected. Support S.B. 167.

John Morrow,

Liverpool Township,

former Wellsville Councilman,

former Wellsville Local Board of Education member