(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — New consumer safeguards that took effect today protect Ohioans from having their signatures used without their knowledge or consent, Attorney General Dave Yost announced.
“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.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dominic Binkley: 614-728-4127
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