Texas will pass a bill requiring Apple and Google app stores to implement age verification

Texas will pass a bill requiring Apple and Google app stores to implement age verification The Texas bill requires users under 18 to obtain parental consent to download apps Apple and Google oppose the bill on privacy grounds Meta suggests age verification for app stores Reuters San Francisco, May 27 - A bill requiring Apple AAPL.O and Alphabet GOOGL.O's Google to verify the ages of users in their app stores may become law in Texas this week, making the second most populous state in the U.S. a focal point in the debate over whether and how to regulate children's and teenagers' use of smartphones. Senate Bill 2420 will require app store owners to verify the ages of device users, and if users are under 18, parental consent will be required to download apps or make in-app purchases. Utah was the first U.S. state to pass similar legislation earlier this year, and federal lawmakers have also proposed a federal bill. The Texas bill has passed both chambers of the Texas legislature with an absolute majority and is currently awaiting the signature of Governor Greg Abbott. Another bill that has not yet passed the state legislature would restrict the age of users of social media apps to those over 18. Age restrictions for social media apps and parental consent are among the few areas in the U.S. that have reached broad consensus. A 2023 poll by the Pew Research Center found that 81% of Americans support requiring children to obtain parental consent when creating social media accounts, and 71% support age verification before using social media. How to implement age restrictions has sparked a conflict between Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, and Apple and Google, which own the two major app stores in the U.S. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated during a U.S. Senate hearing last year that he believes parents should not have to "upload identification or proof of their identity for every app their child uses. It's more convenient to upload information in the app store." Meta declined to comment on the matter. Apple and Google oppose the Texas bill, stating that it mandates all apps to share age data, even if those apps are not controversial