At least nine states are reportedly considering bills that would require app store operators to verify users’ ages and get parental consent for minors before allowing them to download apps.
Over the last two months, legislation has been introduced in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Kentucky, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Tuesday (Feb. 25).
In addition, about 60 organizations advocating for age-verification laws are launching a coalition called the Digital Childhood Alliance, according to the report.
While several states have passed laws that require online platforms to verify users’ ages, many of these laws have not yet been implemented because they have been challenged by lawsuits, the report said.
These sorts of laws have stalled at the federal level, too, although Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, plans to reintroduce a bill that would require app stores to verify ages, per the report.
The proposed laws have also sparked conflicts between tech companies about who should be responsible for age verification, according to the report.
App store operators like Apple and Google argue that apps are better suited to the task, while social media companies like Meta, Snap and X say the burden should be on the app stores, which already collect user information, per the report.
The Digital Childhood Alliance calls for the passage of model legislation called the App Store Accountability Act, according to its website.
This model legislation requires app store age verification, accurate and transparent age ratings, and mandatory parental consent.
Kids’ anxiety and mental health issues have skyrocketed as a result of their gaining access to content, misinformation and disturbing presentations, Intellicheck CEO Bryan Lewis told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster in an interview posted in January.
Lewis maintained that state and federal laws need to change and that the mantra should be “prove, prove, prove … trust but verify.”
PYMNTS Intelligence has found that social media has become a central part of life for most consumers. That is especially true among Generation Z consumers, 92% of whom say they check social media multiple times per day, according to the report, “Generation Zillennial: How Social Media Drives Zillennials’ Purchases.”
