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Utah just became the first state in the country to pass an age verification law for app stores

Utah Governor Spencer Cox has signed the App Store Accountability Act into law, making it the first state to require that app store makers verify their users' ages. Under this law, people in Utah will need to be over age 18 to make a new account with an app store; underage users will either need to link their account to a parent's so that the adult can give permission for the child to use certain apps.
The legislation is intended to protect children and teens, according to bill sponsor Todd Weiler, a Republican state senator. However, it has also raised questions about privacy and where the burden of responsibility falls to ensure that underage users don't see inappropriate content. Earlier this month, Meta, Snap and X issued a joint statement in favor of Utah's new law, while Google, which runs the Google Play Store, called on the governor to veto the measure. We've reached out to Apple and Google for comment now that the bill has been signed.
As it stands, the App Store Accountability Act is slated to take effect on May 7, but it seems likely that it will face legal challenges. Digital privacy groups have opposed the law and others like it. Other laws requiring online services to confirm users' ages have also raised security concerns about how sensitive age verification data will be used or protected.
developingThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/utah-just-became-the-first-state-in-the-country-to-pass-an-age-verification-law-for-app-stores-225846117.html?src=rss