Utah Becomes First State to Pass Law Requiring Age Verification for App Downloads
Utah has become the first state to pass a law mandating app stores to verify the ages of users and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps on their devices.
The bill, which is now awaiting Governor Spencer Cox's approval, has sparked a clash between Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and tech giants Apple and Google over who should be responsible for age verification. This legislation follows similar proposals introduced in at least eight other states, part of a growing debate over online safety for children. These bills targeting app stores come in the wake of legal battles over laws requiring social media platforms to verify user ages.
Meta, along with other social media companies, argues that app stores should bear the responsibility for age verification. They claim that app stores are the ideal platform for parents to verify their child’s age and grant permission for app downloads, all while maintaining privacy. "Parents want a single place to verify their child's age and approve app downloads in a secure way. The app store is the best place for this," Meta, X, and Snap Inc. said in a joint statement. "We applaud Utah for putting parents in charge with this groundbreaking legislation and encourage Congress to follow suit."
In contrast, app stores such as Apple and Google argue that app developers are better positioned to handle age verification and ensure app safety. They warn that requiring app stores to verify ages could force all users to submit sensitive personal information, like a driver's license, passport, or credit card, even if they are not downloading an age-restricted app. Apple also raised concerns about privacy, especially given that many children lack government-issued IDs, meaning parents would have to provide sensitive documentation just to allow their child to access age-appropriate apps. "That’s not in the interest of user safety or privacy," Apple stated in its most recent online safety report.
Apple has long regarded age verification as a matter of privacy, allowing users to choose whether or not to disclose their age. The company offers parents the option to set age-appropriate restrictions for app downloads, a practice that Google Play Store also follows.
Apple and Google are key supporters of the Chamber of Progress, a tech policy group that lobbied against the bill in Utah. Last year, Apple also helped block a similar bill in Louisiana, which would have required app stores to enforce age restrictions.
Kouri Marshall, a spokesperson for the Chamber of Progress, criticized the Utah law, calling it "a significant violation of individual privacy" and arguing that it imposes an unfair burden on app stores to ensure online safety.
However, Republican Senator Todd Weiler, the bill’s sponsor, defended the legislation, arguing that it’s easier to target just two app stores than to regulate thousands of app developers.
Under the new law, app stores would be required to collect age information when users create accounts. If a minor attempts to create an account, the store would link the account to the parent’s account and may request an ID to verify the child’s age. In cases where a child tries to download an app with in-app purchases or requires agreement to terms and conditions, the parent would first have to approve the download.
Melissa McKay, a mother from Utah, has been an advocate for the legislation after her nephew was exposed to harmful content on another student’s device at school in 2017. McKay believes that inaccurate age ratings and ineffective parental controls are major contributors to online harm.
Similar bills are under consideration in eight other states, with Alabama’s proposal advancing last week.
However, lawsuits have delayed the implementation of state laws regulating social media apps and websites. In 2024, a federal judge temporarily blocked Utah's first-in-the-nation law, which would require social media platforms to verify users' ages and impose restrictions on minors' accounts.
If Governor Cox signs the bill into law, most of its provisions will take effect on May 7. The governor’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment, but Cox, a Republican, has previously supported the state law that requires age verification for social media platforms.
