Utah Becomes First State to Enforce App Store Accountability Act, But Google Opposes the Bill—Why?

Utah Governor Spencer Cox, who signed the law protecting minors using social media in 2023, gave a green light to the App Store Accountability Act law. In doing so, the state becomes the first US state to require age verification on app store users.

The law mandates that residents should be 18 years old and above to open a new app store account, with minors required to associate their accounts with a parent or guardian for authorization to download apps.

Shielding Minors with Parental Supervision

Utah Becomes First State to Enforce App Store Accountability Act

The new law intends to shield children and adolescents from seeing objectionable material online. As per the Republican state senator Todd Weiler, who introduced the bill, the act empowers parents by allowing them to exercise control over what their children can download onto their devices. The act enables parents to monitor and approve app use, making the digital space safer for children.

Tech Giants Support App Store Accountability Act Law

Social media giants Meta, Snap, and X have been backing the bill, with their praise for Utah's move to protect children online. Together, the firms issued the following statement:

Google is Not Happy About the Utah Bill

Nonetheless, Google, the owner of the Play Store, vehemently objected to the bill and requested the governor to veto the legislation. According to PC Gamer, Google's main issue is privacy and the complexities of handling sensitive user data. The company has not yet issued a statement after the signing of the bill.

Legal Challenges Would Get in the Utah Bill's Way

Much to its goals, the App Store Accountability Act is bringing about reservations from privacy groups and digital rights groups.

According to Engadget, critics contend that the legislation could be dangerous to user privacy, most importantly, regarding how sensitive age verification information will be gathered, stored, and secured.

Other similar laws in other states have been sued by privacy groups, raising questions on the legality and enforceability of such legislation.

The law will become active on May 7, although legal experts project court challenges that will delay its enforcement. Digital privacy groups have already complained about the probable misuse of personal information and have signaled potential litigation.

Considering the past legal fight over age verification legislation, Utah may have lengthy court battles ahead before the law is fully enforced.