Texas passes child safety law requiring age checks on app stores
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a child safety law requiring Apple and Google to verify users’ ages on their app stores.
As reported by The BBC, the new Texas law mandates parental approval for minors in the state to download apps or make in-app purchases, despite opposition from Apple and Google. It is effective from January 1st.
“We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information,” said an Apple spokesperson in a statement.
Texas joins Utah in passing child online safety laws, while at the federal level, lawmakers are advancing the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to require social media platforms to better protect young users through safer design choices.
Age verification
Apple said it supports stronger online safety for kids but is “deeply concerned” that Texas’s new law threatens user privacy.
The company argued it would force app stores to collect sensitive data from all users, even for basic apps. In February, Apple introduced new child safety tools, including requiring age range selection and parental consent for users under 13.
Age-verification rules have sparked tensions between app stores and social media firms, with Meta pushing for Apple and Google to handle user age checks.
