Utah Passes Landmark Legislation on App Store Age Verification
Utah made history on Wednesday by becoming the first state to enact legislation that requires app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps onto their devices. The bill, which is now headed to the desk of Gov. Spencer Cox for final approval, has sparked a heated debate between tech giants. On one side, Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, supports the measure, while on the other, Apple and Google, the operators of the App Store and Google Play Store, respectively, express strong opposition. Similar bills are being considered in at least 12 other states, signaling a growing national effort to enhance children’s online safety and regulate digital platforms.
The legislation places the responsibility of age verification directly on app stores, a move that has been met with criticism from Apple and Google. They argue that app developers, rather than app stores, are better equipped to handle age verification and other safety measures. Apple has further warned that requiring app stores to confirm users’ ages could lead to privacy concerns, as users may be forced to provide sensitive personal information, such as driver’s licenses, passports, Social Security numbers, or credit cards, even for apps that are not age-restricted. This, Apple claims, would disproportionately burden parents, especially those whose children lack government-issued IDs.
Meta and Other Social Media Companies Support the Measure
Meta, along with X and Snap Inc., has come out in strong support of Utah’s legislation. In a joint statement, the companies argued that app stores are the most logical place for age verification, as they provide a centralized platform for parents to control and grant permission for their children’s app downloads. “Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child’s age and grant permission for them to download apps in a privacy-preserving way,” the statement read. “We applaud Utah for putting parents in charge with its landmark legislation and urge Congress to follow suit.” Meta and other social media platforms have long faced criticism for not doing enough to protect children online or prevent underage users from accessing their services, and they see this measure as a step in the right direction.
Opposition from Tech Companies and Privacy Advocates
Despite the support from Meta and other social media companies, the bill has faced fierce opposition from Apple, Google, and tech policy groups like the Chamber of Progress. These entities argue that the legislation represents an overreach of government authority and a threat to individual privacy. Kouri Marshall, a spokesperson for the Chamber of Progress, called the measure “a tremendous encroachment of individual privacy” and criticized it for placing an undue burden on app stores to enforce age restrictions. Apple and Google have historically allowed users to decide whether to disclose their age and have provided tools for parents to set age-appropriate parameters for app downloads.
Republican Sen. Todd Weiler, the bill’s sponsor, countered these arguments by stating that it is “a lot easier to target two app stores than it is to target 10,000 (app) developers.” Under the bill, app stores would be required to request age information when users create accounts. If a minor attempts to open an account, the app store would need to link it to a parent’s account and may require a form of identification to confirm the user’s age. Weiler suggested that credit cards could be used as a verification tool in most cases. Additionally, parents would need to approve any app downloads that involve in-app purchases or require users to agree to terms and conditions.
A Growing Movement for Children’s Online Safety
The passage of Utah’s bill is part of a larger movement across the U.S. to regulate digital platforms and enhance protections for children online. Similar bills are being considered in at least 12 other states, including Alabama, where a legislative committee recently advanced a proposal requiring app stores to verify ages and obtain parental consent. These efforts follow previous legal battles over social media companies’ responsibilities to verify users’ ages and protect minors from harmful content. For instance, a federal judge temporarily blocked Utah’s earlier law requiring social media platforms to check users’ ages and restrict accounts belonging to minors.
For many advocates, the issue of online safety is deeply personal. Melissa McKay, a Utah mother who supported the legislation, shared her motivation for pushing the bill. She recalled how her nephew was exposed to harmful content on a school device in 2017, which prompted her to take action. McKay believes that inaccurate age ratings on apps and flawed parental controls are at the root of many online harms, and she hopes the new law will help address these issues. If signed into law by Gov. Cox, most provisions of the bill will take effect on May 7. While the governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment, Cox has previously expressed support for similar measures, including the now-blocked social media age verification law.
As Utah’s landmark legislation moves forward, it remains to be seen how it will impact the broader tech industry and efforts to regulate children’s online experiences nationwide.
