Latest news with #TexasAppStoreAccountabilityAct
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas becomes second state to require app store age verification
(NewsNation) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the Texas App Store Accountability Act, mandating that Apple and Google verify the age of users on their app stores. The law, set to take effect on January 1, requires parental consent for users under 18 to download apps or make in-app purchases. The law follows similar legislation passed earlier this year in Utah and reflects growing concern over children's access to digital platforms. Violent NYC crypto robbery reflects growing global trend Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, along with Snap and X, praised the bill's passage. 'Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child's age and grant permission for them to download apps in a privacy-preserving way. The app store is the best place for it, and more than one-third of US states have introduced bills recognizing the central role app stores play,' the companies said, according to Reuters. However, Apple and Google opposed the law, arguing that it requires them to share age data with all apps, even those that pose no 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. How AI is shaping industries across the US According to Reuters, both companies have proposed alternatives that would limit data sharing to only apps that require age verification. 'We see a role for legislation here,' Kareem Ghanem, senior director of government affairs and public policy at Google, told Reuters. 'It's just 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, because it's the harm to kids and teens on those sites that's really inspired people to take a closer look here and see how we can all do better.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas governor signs new law requiring Apple and Google to verify all app store users' ages
Google and Apple will soon be required to verify app store users' ages in Texas, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the rule into law on Tuesday. The Texas App Store Accountability Act follows similar legislation that passed in Utah earlier this year, although it requires the app stores to collect even more user data. Enforcement of the Texas law is set to begin at the start of next year — giving app stores several months to determine how they will collect this information. The bill was passed with super-majority approval by the Texas House and Senate. It's part of a broader push for regulation to better protect kids online, with lawmakers and some social media companies arguing that app stores should serve as centralized clearinghouses for verifying users' ages. A handful of other US states have proposed similar legislation. But the app store operators, as well as some experts, say the age verification rules could pose privacy risks and be difficult to enforce. 'We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information,' an Apple spokesperson said in a statement regarding the bill last week. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Abbott earlier this month to encourage him not to sign the bill as written, according to a Wall Street Journal report. A representative for Abbott did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment. Like Utah's law, the Texas bill requires app stores to verify all users' ages and obtain parental consent before minor users download or make a purchase through an app. They're also required to share 'age categories' — child, young teenager, older teenager or adult — with app developers so that, at least in theory, they can provider safer experiences for young users. But Texas' law adds an additional requirement: The app stores must also confirm that the parent or guardian approving a minor's app downloads has the legal authority to make decisions for that child. App store operators Google and Apple argue that the age verification bills will undermine individual privacy. That's because every user, not just children, will have to provide sensitive data — likely an ID or a scan of their face — to confirm their age, even if they only want to download something like a weather app, where age is irrelevant. And the custody rule will require parents to turn over even more personal documentation. Legal experts have also raised concerns that such laws could run afoul of the First Amendment by forcing adults to choose between handing over personal information or accessing 'legally protected online speech.' Likewise, minors would be forced to get parental consent before accessing protected online speech. Apple and Google have suggested alternative proposals that would involve a shared responsibility for age verification between app stores and app developers, and sharing age data only with the platforms that need it. Apple says it is set to release an 'age assurance' feature that lets parents share their child's age range with app developers. 'Importantly, this solution does not require app marketplaces to collect and keep sensitive data—such as passports or driver's licenses—from all users to verify age,' a company spokesperson said in a statement last week. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment after Abbott signed the Texas law. However, some social media companies — including Meta, Snap and X — have advocated for app stores to be responsible for verifying users' ages, saying it will prevent users from having to share personal information across multiple platforms. The new laws come as online platforms have faced fierce criticism for exposing young users to harms such as sexual harassment and eating disorder content. And the rise of artificial intelligence chatbots has raised even more concerns and questions about how teens use technology. Even as they have rolled out teen safety features, critics have noted that young people could evade them by signing up for accounts with inaccurate birthdates and called for formal age verification.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas governor signs new law requiring Apple and Google to verify all app store users' ages
Google and Apple will soon be required to verify app store users' ages in Texas, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the rule into law on Tuesday. The Texas App Store Accountability Act follows similar legislation that passed in Utah earlier this year, although it requires the app stores to collect even more user data. Enforcement of the Texas law is set to begin at the start of next year — giving app stores several months to determine how they will collect this information. The bill was passed with super-majority approval by the Texas House and Senate. It's part of a broader push for regulation to better protect kids online, with lawmakers and some social media companies arguing that app stores should serve as centralized clearinghouses for verifying users' ages. A handful of other US states have proposed similar legislation. But the app store operators, as well as some experts, say the age verification rules could pose privacy risks and be difficult to enforce. 'We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information,' an Apple spokesperson said in a statement regarding the bill last week. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Abbott earlier this month to encourage him not to sign the bill as written, according to a Wall Street Journal report. A representative for Abbott did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment. Like Utah's law, the Texas bill requires app stores to verify all users' ages and obtain parental consent before minor users download or make a purchase through an app. They're also required to share 'age categories' — child, young teenager, older teenager or adult — with app developers so that, at least in theory, they can provider safer experiences for young users. But Texas' law adds an additional requirement: The app stores must also confirm that the parent or guardian approving a minor's app downloads has the legal authority to make decisions for that child. App store operators Google and Apple argue that the age verification bills will undermine individual privacy. That's because every user, not just children, will have to provide sensitive data — likely an ID or a scan of their face — to confirm their age, even if they only want to download something like a weather app, where age is irrelevant. And the custody rule will require parents to turn over even more personal documentation. Legal experts have also raised concerns that such laws could run afoul of the First Amendment by forcing adults to choose between handing over personal information or accessing 'legally protected online speech.' Likewise, minors would be forced to get parental consent before accessing protected online speech. Apple and Google have suggested alternative proposals that would involve a shared responsibility for age verification between app stores and app developers, and sharing age data only with the platforms that need it. Apple says it is set to release an 'age assurance' feature that lets parents share their child's age range with app developers. 'Importantly, this solution does not require app marketplaces to collect and keep sensitive data—such as passports or driver's licenses—from all users to verify age,' a company spokesperson said in a statement last week. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment after Abbott signed the Texas law. However, some social media companies — including Meta, Snap and X — have advocated for app stores to be responsible for verifying users' ages, saying it will prevent users from having to share personal information across multiple platforms. The new laws come as online platforms have faced fierce criticism for exposing young users to harms such as sexual harassment and eating disorder content. And the rise of artificial intelligence chatbots has raised even more concerns and questions about how teens use technology. Even as they have rolled out teen safety features, critics have noted that young people could evade them by signing up for accounts with inaccurate birthdates and called for formal age verification.
