Texas Plans to Enforce Age Limits on App Stores

Texas plans to become the latest US state to tighten controls on child online safety. Local lawmakers advanced a bill requiring Apple and Google’s app stores to verify a user’s age.

If passed, the legislation will mandate that Apple and Google confirm a user’s age at the point of app store access. For those under 18, parental consent will be required for downloads and in-app purchases. The bill is now awaiting Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s signature after passing both chambers of the state legislature with a super-majority.

However, big tech players, including Apple and Google, criticized the proposed law, citing privacy concerns. The iPhone maker warned that implementation would require the collection of “sensitive personal identifying information for every Texan”, including for weather or news apps. Meanwhile, Kareem Ghanem, senior director of government affairs and public policy at Google, said: “We see a role for legislation here. It’s just got to be done in the right way.”

While Meta declined to comment, CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously told lawmakers that app stores were the appropriate venue for age verification rather than individual apps. Last month, Meta’s social media platform Instagram began trialing AI technology to verify the ages of teenage users.

The move comes as Utah became the first state in the US to enact a similar law earlier this year. If signed, the legislation will place Texas at the forefront of efforts to regulate children’s access to social media platforms. In addition, a separate bill still under consideration by the state legislature would limit social media access to Texan users under the age of 18.