AGENCY
Texas , MAY 30
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed an online child safety bill that requires Apple and Google to ensure that their app stores verify the age of users in the nation’s second most populous state. Under the new law, minors will need parental approval before they can download apps or make in-app purchases. The bill was opposed by Google and Apple, media reports said.
“We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement.
Texas follows Utah, another conservative state, which adopted a similar law earlier this year, BBC reported. At the federal level, US lawmakers have spearheaded the Kids Online Safety Act, known as KOSA, which would require social media companies to make design choices that prevent and mitigate harms to young users.
KOSA was passed by the US Senate last year but stalled in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the US Congress.
The proposed bipartisan legislation, which Apple supports, was reintroduced in Congress earlier this month. In the absence of a federal law, the states have chosen to come up with their own legislation. Laws that call for age-verification has long pitted app store providers like Apple and Google against social media companies.
Meta, which owns the social media network Facebook and photo sharing app Instagram, has lobbied for Apple and Google to be responsible for verifying the age of users.
According to media reports, Apple chief executive Tim Cook called Governor Abbott earlier this month in a bid to stop the passage of the state’s bill.
An Apple spokesperson said the tech giant shares “the goal of strengthening kids’ online safety” but added it was “deeply concerned” by the threat it believes the law poses to the privacy of all users.
