Nine states proposing to make Apple and Google responsible for age verification

At least nine US states are considering legislation that would make app store owners like Apple and Google responsible for age verification before giving access to apps with minimum age requirements. Currently the legal responsibility lies with developers. The issue is most applicable to social media apps, which typically have a minimum age of 13, and is an approach advocated by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg … Age verification for social media apps Social media apps have been accused of trying to get teenagers addicted to their apps, and also failing to take any meaningful steps to ensure that users meet their claimed age requirements. The issue is becoming increasingly contentious as a number of legislatures have sought to impose legally-binding age requirements, or to require parental permission for social media use. Currently, it is app developers who must ensure age requirements are met, but Meta began arguing in 2023 that app stores are in a better position to do this, with Zucker ... Read full article.