Several State Bills Propose Requiring Age Verification for Social Media and App Stores
Legislators in several states added to a growing pile of age-verification bills Friday. Kids privacy and online safety bills have been an early focus for these lawmakers (see 2501170053).
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Nebraska Sen. Tanya Storer (R) filed LB-383 to require social media platforms to verify ages and not allow those younger than 18 to have accounts unless their parents give consent. Meanwhile, Hawaii Rep. Garner Shimizu (R) introduced HB-566, which also requires age verification and parental consent for minors. The measure also prohibits addictive feeds and includes privacy rules for children.
In Alaska and Utah, lawmakers filed similar bills requiring age verification on app stores to determine whether a user is younger than 18. Both HB-46 by Alaska Rep. Sarah Vance (R) and SB-142 by Utah Sen. Todd Weiler (R) are titled the “App Store Accountability Act” and also require app stores to obtain parental consent for minors.