SAN FRANCISCO: The US state of Utah signed into law a bill Wednesday requiring app store operators like Apple and Google to verify children’s ages when downloading apps. The law, which comes into force in May, will put the onus on Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store to check users’ ages rather than the app’s publisher, such as social media platforms. Children must be 13 to use social networks in the United States, but app stores have long argued that the responsibility to check does not lie with them.

Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are regularly accused of failing to protect young people from bullying, addiction and exposure to harmful content. Social media giant Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, welcomed the move in a joint statement with Snapchat and X. “We applaud (Utah) Governor (Spencer) Cox and the state of Utah for being the first in the nation to empower parents and users with greater control over teen app downloads, and urge other states to consider this groundbreaking approach,” the statement said. “Parents want a one-stop-shop to oversee and approve the many apps their teens want to download, and Utah has led the way in centralizing it within a device’s app store.” Apple and Google did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

But tech industry trade group Chamber of Progress warned the law “jeopardizes the privacy of Utah consumers.” “The legislation is almost certain to spark another legal battle over speech and privacy concerns, similar to the one that struck down a similar age verification law in Utah last year,” said the organization, which is largely funded by Apple, Google and Meta’s European arm. “Utah will now have to burn even more time and resources defending this ill-fated proposal in court instead of actually working to make the internet safer for all”, Robert Singleton, one of the chamber’s directors, said. — AFP