Texas adopts child safety bill despite Apple CEO Tim Cook's personal plea
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an online child safety bill, bucking a lobbying push from big tech companies that included a personal phone call from Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.
The measure requires app stores to verify users' ages and secure parental approval before minors can download most apps or make in-app purchases.
The bill drew fire from app store operators such as Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Apple, which have argued that the legislation threatens the privacy of all users.
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The bill was a big enough priority for Apple that Cook called Abbott to emphasise the company's opposition to it, said a person familiar with their discussion, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The measure was patterned after Utah's App Store Accountability Act, which took effect earlier this year and placed similar requirements on software markets, said Angela Paxton, a Texas state senator who authored the bill.
'This puts tools in the hands of parents to make decisions for their children,' said Paxton, who, like Abbott, is a Republican.
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Abbott's office echoed her view, saying in a statement that the new law will enable Texas to 'empower parents to have more control over the online content their children can access.'
Alphabet said it was assessing next steps. Apple said it values child safety but expressed concern that the legislation would unnecessarily erode personal privacy.
'We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information,' the company said in a statement.
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