Texas set to enact age verification law for app store & play store escalating debate over kids' online safety

A bill requiring Apple and Google to verify the age of users on their app stores is poised to become law in Texas, positioning the state at the center of a growing national debate over regulating smartphone use by children and teens.

Senate Bill 2420, which passed both chambers of the Texas legislature with a supermajority, now awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature. The legislation would require app store operators to verify the age of a device user and, for those under 18, obtain parental consent before allowing app downloads or in-app purchases.

Texas would become the second US state to enact such a law, following Utah’s lead earlier this year. A similar bill has also been introduced in Congress. Another proposed bill in Texas, still under legislative review, would ban social media access for users under 18.

Polling shows broad public support for such measures. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found 81 per cent of Americans favor requiring parental consent for minors to create social media accounts, and 71 per cent support age verification before access is granted.

The push for age verification has sparked tensions between tech giants. Meta Platforms, owner of Instagram and Facebook, has clashed with Apple and Google over where the responsibility for enforcing age restrictions should lie.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the US Senate last year that app stores, not individual apps, should handle age verification. “Parents shouldn’t have to upload an ID or proof they are a parent in every single app their children use,” Zuckerberg said.

Meta declined to comment on the Texas legislation.

Advocacy groups supporting the bill argue app store-level verification is necessary to give parents meaningful control over their children’s technology use.

“The problem is that self-regulation in the digital marketplace has failed, where app stores have just prioritized profit over the safety and rights of children and families,” said Casey Stefanski, executive director of the Digital Childhood Alliance.

Apple and Google have pushed back, warning the bill would require the collection of sensitive personal data across all apps, even those with minimal risk.

“If enacted, app marketplaces will be required to collect and keep sensitive personal identifying information for every Texan who wants to download an app— even if it’s an app that simply provides weather updates or sports scores,” Apple said in a statement.

Both companies advocate for a more tailored approach, sharing age data only with apps that require it. “We see a role for legislation here,” said Kareem Ghanem, Google’s senior director of government affairs and public policy. “But it’s got to be done in the right way, and it’s got to hold the feet of Zuckerberg and the social media companies to the fire.”

Concerns over the impact of social media on youth mental health have intensified globally. The US Surgeon General has issued an advisory warning about the risks, and multiple states are suing Meta over alleged harm to children. Australia banned social media use for those under 16 last year, and other countries, including Norway, are considering similar steps.

With inputs from Reuters