Salt Lake City (AP) — Utah has become the first state to pass a law requiring app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental consent before allowing minors to download apps.
The bill, now awaiting Governor Spencer Cox’s signature, has sparked debate between Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and app store giants Apple and Google over who should be responsible for age verification. Similar bills have been introduced in at least eight other states as part of the ongoing effort to enhance online safety for children.
Meta and other social media platforms support placing the responsibility on app stores, arguing that they have not done enough to ensure their platforms are safe for children. "Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child’s age and grant permission for app downloads in a privacy-preserving way. The app store is the best place for it," Meta, X, and Snap Inc. said in a joint statement, applauding Utah’s initiative and urging Congress to follow suit.
However, Apple and Google argue that app developers, rather than app stores, should handle age verification and safety measures. Apple warned that requiring app stores to confirm ages could force all users—regardless of intent—to provide sensitive personal information such as a driver's license, passport, credit card, or Social Security number. The company also pointed out that many children in the U.S. lack government-issued IDs, which would force parents to submit additional sensitive documentation.
Apple, which considers age a privacy matter, allows users to decide whether to disclose it and gives parents the option to set age-based restrictions on app downloads. The Google Play Store offers similar controls. Both companies are part of the Chamber of Progress, a tech policy group that lobbied against the bill, arguing that it places an excessive burden on app stores and threatens individual privacy.
Republican Sen. Todd Weiler, who sponsored the bill, defended the approach, stating, "It’s a lot easier to target two app stores than it is to target 10,000 app developers."
Under the legislation, app stores must request age information when users create an account. If a minor attempts to register, the app store would be required to link the account to their parent’s and may request an ID for verification. In most cases, a credit card could serve as an age verification tool. Additionally, if a minor tries to download an app with in-app purchases or terms and conditions, parental approval would be required.
Melissa McKay, a Utah mother who advocated for the bill, emphasized the need for stronger online protections. She became concerned about digital safety after her nephew was exposed to harmful content on a classmate’s device in 2017. She believes inaccurate age ratings and weak parental controls are key contributors to online harm.
At least eight other states are considering similar proposals. Last week, a legislative committee in Alabama advanced its own version of the bill.
Meanwhile, legal challenges have delayed enforcement of state laws regulating social media. In 2024, a federal judge temporarily blocked Utah’s law requiring social media platforms to verify users' ages and restrict minor accounts.
If signed into law, Utah’s app store age verification requirements would take effect on May 7. Governor Cox’s office has not responded to requests for comment, though he has previously supported similar regulations on social media platforms.