Report from the New York Times
In Brief – Texas is the second state to require app store operators to verify all users’ ages and then block minors from downloading apps without the permission of a parent or legal guardian. SB 2420, the App Store Accountability Act, also requires parental consent before minors can make in-app purchases, mandates app developers create appropriate age ratings for their apps and introduces secure age verification tools. Today, Apple and Google operate the largest US app stores, but the number could grow, especially as antitrust cases target the two giants. Meta has been the most vocal app developer arguing that Apple and Google, who play central roles in the mobile ecosystems, are best positioned to manage age verification by confirming each user’s age at account set-up, telling app developers that a user is old enough for any single app download, and managing parental consent regimes through linked devices and accounts. Apple, Google, and many tech policy advocacy groups have objected to mandates requiring age verification for all online users and it was reported that Apple’s CEO unsuccessfully appealed directly to Texas Governor Greg Abbott encouraging him to veto the bill.
Context – Governments worldwide, including Australia, the EU, UK, and a growing number of US states, are introducing measures that aim to protect teens from various online harms, especially involving social media and pornography. They will all operationally require age verification. Singapore’s digital and media regulator recently announced that very large app stores in that market, which includes Apple, Google and a few China-based companies, will need be take on system-level age verification measures. In March, US Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Representative John James (R-MI) introduced a federal version of the App Store Accountability Act in Congress, drawing support from more than 100 national advocacy organizations. The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in January regarding the privacy and free speech implications of online age verification requirements, and their upcoming ruling is likely to heavily impact this development in the US.