Opinion: Utah leads the nation in protecting kids online

Yahoo

28-02-2025

Last May, we called for parents to take charge of their children's online safety. Now, as the legislative session nears its end, Utah is set to make history by passing the App Store Accountability Act, ensuring that parents — not Big Tech — have control over what their kids can download and access online.
For both of us, this fight is deeply personal. Corinne's daughter, Liddy, battled social media addiction, starting on Pinterest, a platform most would consider harmless. For Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, traveling across Utah and talking with parents, teachers and students revealed just how devastating social media addiction has become — hurting mental health, disrupting education and tearing families apart. The need for real solutions was undeniable.
The answer came from one of Utah's strongest allies in protecting children: Sen. Mike Lee. When he introduced the App Store Accountability Act at the federal level, Lee put forward the right model for Utah. Recognizing the urgency of the issue, child protection advocates and parents collaborated with Lee to bring this legislation to the state level, ensuring that Utah could lead the way in safeguarding kids online. Sen. Todd Weiler and Rep. Jim Dunnigan have championed the bill in the Utah Legislature. SB142 has gained overwhelming bipartisan support.
A statewide survey conducted by Spry Strategies on behalf of Utah Parents United showed that 78% of Utah parents support requiring app stores to obtain parental approval before children under 16 can download apps, and 56% of parents are more likely to vote for legislators who support these protections. These numbers send a clear message — parents demand action, and lawmakers are listening.
The App Store Accountability Act addresses these concerns by requiring age verification and parental consent before minors can download new apps. This creates a vital barrier, allowing parents to approve or block apps that might expose their children to harmful content or predatory behavior.
By centralizing these safeguards at the app store level, the legislation ensures that even emerging or lesser-known apps cannot bypass parental oversight. Additionally, the act provides informed consent by establishing an app rating and content monitoring system, equipping parents with the necessary tools to safeguard their children's access.
In no other area do we allow minor children to sign binding contracts, yet somehow app stores do. The bill enforces basic contract law principles, ensuring that parents, not minors, sign contracts involving data sharing, location tracking and other sensitive information — protecting children from inadvertently granting Big Tech access to their personal data. This way, no new personal data is shared under this bill, because it only applies to adults who have app store accounts.
Utah has a strong track record of leading the nation in protecting children online. We were the first state to declare pornography a public health crisis, recognizing its harmful impact on families. Utah also took bold steps to make parental controls the default setting on cellphones, ensuring kids couldn't access inappropriate content without a parent's approval. Most recently, in 2023, we passed an age verification law for adult websites, leading to Pornhub restricting access to its site within the state — a major victory in keeping Utah's children safer.
The App Store Accountability Act builds on these successes, reinforcing the Utah Legislature's unwavering commitment to protecting kids in the digital age. Now, as Utah prepares to pass the first bill of its kind in the nation, we ask: Will other states follow our lead, and will Utah's leadership help open the door for Sen. Lee's federal legislation?
It is time to take action. Our children's online safety depends on it.