App Store Accountability Act
New Senate Bill Requires App Stores to Verify User Ages and Get Parental Permission for Minors
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
↔Companion bill: New Bill Would Require App Stores to Get Parental Permission Before Kids Download AppsLegislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill requires large app stores—those with more than 5 million users—to verify the age of every person who creates an account. It creates four specific age groups: young children (under 13), children (13 to 15), teenagers (16 and 17), and adults (18 and older).
- If a user is under 18, the app store must link their account to a verified parent's account. Parents would have to give clear, informed permission before their child can download any new app or spend money on in-app purchases.
- App developers would be required to give parents a clear description of what personal data the app collects and who they share it with. If an app makes a major change to its privacy settings or features, the app store must notify the parent and get their permission again.
- The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general would be responsible for making sure companies follow these rules. Companies that fail to verify ages or ignore parental consent could face legal action and fines for deceptive business practices.
- If passed, these rules would take effect one year later. While the policy aims to protect kids, it would require users to provide more personal information to app stores to prove their age, and it would stop developers from enforcing contracts against minors without parental proof.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Small app developers would face new compliance obligations, including notifying app stores of significant changes, providing parental consent disclosures about data collection, and verifying user age categories through the app store's system. While the safe harbor provision offers some protection for developers who rely in good faith on app store age data, smaller developers may struggle with the added cost and complexity of compliance compared to large companies.
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
Developers push back on app store age verification bill
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
App Store Accountability Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.