App Store Accountability Act

Key Points

• This bill requires large app stores with more than 5 million users to verify the age of every person who creates an account. If a user is under 18, their account must be linked to a verified parent or guardian's account.
• Parents must give clear, informed permission before a child or teenager can download a new app or make any in-app purchases. Before agreeing, parents must be shown what personal data the app collects and how that data is kept safe.
• App developers are required to notify the app store if they make 'significant changes' to an app, such as adding new ways to spend money or changing their privacy rules. The app store must then alert parents and get their permission again.
• The policy includes privacy protections that forbid app developers from sharing a user's age information with outside companies. App stores must also use high-level security to protect the ID and age data they collect from families.
• If this bill becomes law, the Federal Trade Commission and state officials will have the power to sue companies that fail to follow these rules, treating violations as unfair or deceptive business practices.
• The requirements would take effect one year after the bill is signed into law, giving tech companies time to set up the necessary age verification and parental notification systems.

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