Texas governor signs law to enforce age verification on Apple, Google app stores

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law on Tuesday that requires tech giants Apple and Google to verify the age of users of their app stores. This move has put Texas at the forefront of the debate on regulating smartphone use by children and teenagers.

The new law, which will come into effect on January 1, mandates parental consent for downloading apps or making in-app purchases for users under the age of 18. Utah was the first state to pass a similar law earlier this year, and there is also a federal bill under consideration.

Another bill in Texas, which has passed in the House of Representatives and is awaiting a Senate vote, aims to restrict social media apps to users over 18.

The issue of age limits and parental consent for social media apps has garnered widespread support in the United States, with a Pew Research poll from 2023 showing that 81% of Americans support requiring parental consent for children to create social media accounts and 71% support age verification before using social media.

Concerns about the impact of social media on children’s mental health have led to global initiatives, with several states suing Meta Platforms and the US Surgeon General issuing advisories on safeguards for children. Last year, Australia banned social media for children under 16, while other countries like Norway are contemplating new regulations.

Implementing age restrictions has led to conflicts between Meta, Apple, and Google, the owners of major app stores in the US. Meta, along with social media companies Snap and X, welcomed the passage of the Texas bill.

Child online safety groups have long advocated for app store age verification as a way to give parents effective control over their children’s use of technology. However, Apple and Google have opposed the Texas bill, citing concerns about sharing age data with all apps.

Google and Apple have proposed their own solutions, suggesting that age range data should only be shared with apps that require it, rather than all apps. They believe that legislation is necessary to ensure the protection of children and teens online.

In summary, the Texas law requiring age verification for app store users under 18 has sparked a debate on regulating smartphone use by minors. While there is support for parental consent and age verification in social media apps, there are concerns about how to effectively implement these measures without infringing on privacy rights.