Texas law will require age verification, parental consent for app store downloads
FILE-In this photo Social media app on a phone. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas - App store operators like Google and Apple will now be required to verify the age of users in Texas and get parental consent from parents before allowing minors to download an app under a new law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
The App Store Accountability Act requires age verification from all users and will prevent minors from downloading apps or making in-app purchases without parental consent from a connected account that has been verified.
What they're saying:
"The App Store Accountability Act is about putting parents back in the driver's seat regarding their children's devices," Sen. Angela Paxton said. "Big tech should not be deciding what's appropriate for our kids - that's the role of parents."
Texas becomes the second state to pass an age-verification law, joining Utah which passed a similar law in March.
"This law reflects the values of Texas families," Paxton said. "Parents deserve transparency, accountability, and real tools - not empty promises - from Big Tech."
The other side:
The law didn't come without pushback from tech companies and tech policy advocates.
Apple CEO Tim Cook called Abbott last week and asked him to change or veto the bill, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
Chamber of Progress, a tech industry policy coalition, said the bill compromises online privacy.
"The bill may sound like a common-sense safeguard for children, but it really poses a serious threat to the privacy and free speech of all Texans," Chamber of Progress Director of Government Relations Kouri Marshall said. "Texans have seemingly traded their privacy and free speech for a false sense of security."
Other bills
The App Store Accountability Act isn't the only bill looking to clamp down on how much access minors have to apps and purchases on smartphones.
House Bill 186 would require social media companies to verify a user's age when they sign up for an account.
The bill passed the House last month and was placed on the Senate calendar for Wednesday.
The Source: Information on Senate Bill 2420 comes from the Texas Legislature. Information on Apple CEO Tim Cook's call to Gov. Greg Abbott comes from a Wall Street Journal report. Comments made by Sen. Paxton come from a released statement. Comments from Chamber of Progress come from their website.