New consumer protections aimed at safeguarding Ohioans from unauthorized use of their signatures took effect on Friday, January 17, as announced by Attorney General Dave Yost.
“A signature is a symbol of your identity, and you alone should decide how it’s used,” Yost stated. “We’ve reinforced the law to shield your signature from deceptive attempts to use it without your permission.”
The Attorney General’s Office introduced a new rule in the Ohio Administrative Code that adds requirements for consent and transparency for businesses that collect and use signatures for non-transactional purposes.
Under this rule, businesses are not allowed to use an individual’s signature in letters, emails, or other communications unless they receive explicit affirmative consent from that person. This rule applies to both electronic signatures and handwritten signatures.
To ensure transparency, businesses must disclose how the signature will be used, including:
– The message that comes with the signature.
– The specific situations in which the signature will be used.
– The person who wrote the message.
– The recipient meant to receive the message.
Violations of this rule are classified as deceptive acts under Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act, making offenders subject to legal action by the Attorney General’s Office.
This rule was proposed by Yost last year following reports of Ohioans’ signatures being used in communications without their consent.
