Utah Passes First App Store Age Verification Bill; Meta, Snap, X Applaud

Utah Passes First App Store Age Verification Bill; Meta, Snap, X Applaud

Utah became the first state in the country to pass legislation requiring app store operators to verify users’ ages and require parental consent for minors to download apps. The App Store Accountability Act is the latest kids online safety bill to head to head to the governors’ desk, as states across the country and the federal legislature have tried to impose a variety of design regulations and age gating requirements to protect minors from online harms. Much of the legislation that has advanced through the states has been blocked in the courts, and the leading bill in Congress failed to pass last year amid concerns that it could limit free expression on the internet. Putting the onus on mobile app store operators to verify ages — rather than individual website providers — is something that Meta and other social media sites have pushed in recent months, as legislatures consider a variety of bills that could impose more liability for kids’ safety across the tech industry. Apple reportedl…