Apple CEO Tim Cook is in Washington, D.C. to meet with US lawmakers about the upcoming App Store Accountability Act, reports Bloomberg.
The App Store Accountability Act refers to a growing trend of state and federal legislation (like Texas SB2420, Utah SB142, Louisiana HB570, and proposed federal bills) aimed at protecting minors online by requiring app stores and developers to verify user ages, obtain parental consent for minors’ app downloads/purchases, and provide parental controls, effectively holding platforms more responsible for content and data access for children under 18, with significant impacts on tech companies’ data handling and business practices starting in 2026.
Apple is against the App Store Accountability Act because it does not want to be legally responsible for verifying user age, obtaining parental consent, or ensuring that developers follow the rules. The tech giant also doesn’t want to collect the required documentation.
Cook pushed lawmakers not to require app store platforms to collect data for age verification purposes, instead suggesting that parents should be providing the age of a child when creating a child’s account.
As noted by MacRumors, to head off legislation, Apple has introduced new age assurance features, such as simpler tools for parents to oversee children’s Apple accounts, new age categories for app content, and the Declared Age Range application (API) that provides developers with a privacy-forward way to ensure kids aren’t exposed to in-app content meant for adults.
Apple has argued that it already has extensive parental controls with Screen Time, and that the legislation would require it to collect excessive amounts of information from all users just to verify the age of children, notes MacRumors. Apple says that it could be required to collect data like a driver’s license, passport, or Social Security number, which is “not in the interest of user safety or privacy.”
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
