Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT) signed a groundbreaking law in Utah that requires tech giants like Apple and Google to verify users’ ages through their app stores before they can access dangerous apps.
Governor Cox signed the App Store Accountability Act, putting parents back in control over what their children can see online, despite pushback from tech companies trying to dodge responsibility for protecting America’s youth.
The groundbreaking law, which will take effect on May 7, requires mobile app stores to authenticate user ages and obtain parental permission for users under 18 to access certain applications.
This shifts the verification responsibility from individual apps to the tech giants who control what gets downloaded onto devices.
For years, social media companies have exposed children to harmful content with minimal oversight.
State Senator Todd Weiler (R-UT) pointed out the obvious truth many parents already know: “For the past decade or longer, Instagram has rated itself as friendly for 12 year olds. It’s not.”
The bill comes after congressional hearings where social media CEOs faced tough questions about how their platforms harm children.
While federal legislation known as the Kids Online Safety Act failed to advance in Congress, Utah stepped up where Washington politicians failed to act.
Meta, Snapchat, and X have rallied behind the law, recognizing that parents need better tools.
In a joint statement, they declared: “Parents want a one-stop-shop to oversee and approve the many apps their teens want to download, and Utah has led the way in centralizing it within a device’s app store.”
Yet, Apple and Google are resisting responsibility. Apple claims age verification should remain with individual apps, while Google warns about “new risks to the privacy of minors.”
In addition, the new system will likely use credit card verification for adults and link children’s accounts to their parents’ accounts.
The law faces potential legal challenges from tech-funded groups like the Chamber of Progress, which claims it could “divert resources from making the internet safer.”
This type of double-speak is typical of Big Tech allies who resist common-sense protections for children.
Utah’s bold action could inspire similar legislation in states like South Carolina and California, creating a nationwide movement to protect children from online predators and inappropriate content.
With Meta already facing lawsuits from multiple states over the harm its platforms cause to children, this law represents an important step in holding tech companies accountable.
The law’s success or failure could reshape how tech companies manage age verification, impacting the entire digital ecosystem.
For now, parents and concerned citizens watch closely, perhaps supporting Utah’s daring stance as a necessary measure in a digital world increasingly fraught with challenges to young users’ safety.
