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10 • The Beacon February 6 , 2025
New protections are now in place for Ohioans ’ signatures
- WEEKLY CROSSWORD -
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Seeking greater transparency , the rule also requires businesses to tell consumers exactly how their signatures will be used .
New consumer safeguards that recently took effect protect Ohioans from having their signatures used without their knowledge or consent , Attorney General Dave Yost said .
“ A signature is a symbol of your identity , and you alone should decide how it ’ s used ,” Yost said . “ We ’ ve reinforced the law to shield your signature from deceptive attempts to use it without your permission .”
Yost ’ s office added a rule to the Ohio Administrative Code that establishes new consent and transparency requirements for businesses that collect and use signatures for reasons unrelated to transactions .
The rule forbids such businesses from including a person ’ s signature in letters , emails or other communications unless that person first gives affirmative consent — an explicit yes — to use that signature . The rule applies to both handwritten and electronic signatures .
Seeking greater transparency , the rule also requires businesses to tell consumers exactly how their signatures will be used . Specifically , businesses must disclose the message that will be included with the signature , the instances in which the signature will be used , the message ’ s author and the message ’ s recipients .
Violations of the rule are considered deceptive acts under Ohio ’ s Consumer Sales Practices Act and can result in legal action from the Attorney General ’ s Office .
Yost proposed the rule last year after learning of numerous Ohioans whose signatures allegedly were included in letters without their consent . Recognizing a gap in state law , the attorney general sought to strengthen Ohio ’ s legal safeguards against deceptive practices by adding protections for signatures . Nearly 300 people voiced their support for the rule during a public comment period .
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