Meta, X, and Snap are celebrating a new UTAH law that will require Apple and Google the responsibility for verifying the age of users in their app stores and gaining parental permission for minors.
Giant tech fights to determine which party should be responsible for verifying age in app stores. Companies like Meta believe that app stores themselves should verify the age of users because these creatures have pledged and distributing apps. App stores, however, argue that companies making apps should bring responsibility because they are the ones who offer the product to finish users.
Utah is not Only the state consideration of the state Some laws that are around age -verification; This is the first to make a law of this type. The App Store Accountability Act, While calling the new law, the Utah legislature passed earlier this month, then headed to Gov's desk. Spencer Cox for a signature to be it official.
Ahead of the passage of the law, Apple announced A New set of child safety initiatives for its app storewhich includes a check-age system for apps. Its implementation will allow app developers to use a newly expressed AGE RANGE API to access information at the age range provided by the parent. This information does not provide the app developer at the exact age or birth of a minor, but they are allowed to customize their app experiences appropriately based on the age range provided.
The Apple system requires app developers to do the task of asking for the range of age before using an app, rather than the App Store that confirms the age at the time of download.
No wonder social media companies are pleased with the new UTAH law will require app stores to verify the age of users before downloading apps on their devices.
In a joint statement, Meta, X, and Snap praised Utah's move, saying:
We applauded Governor Cox and the State of Utah for being the first in the country to empower parents and users with more control over teen downloads, and encourage other states to consider this method of groundbreaking. Parents of a one-stop-shop administer and approve many apps that their youth wants to download, and Utah has led the way it will be centered inside the device app store. This method frees users from repeated submission of personal information to countless individual apps and online services. We are committed to cautioning parents and youth, and are expected to see many states that have strengthened this model.
In total, 16 US states, including California and Texas, have introduced their own versions of App Store law dedicated to verifying age and youth safety.
