Google slammed Meta this week for supporting state bills requiring app stores to verify users’ ages. However, an advocacy group for children online rejected the idea of a single best way to verify ages.
Despite originating as a way to protect children from harms in the digital world, age-verification practices have morphed into a serious risk to privacy and digital rights, Rindala Alajaji, legislative activist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), wrote in a blog Friday. “What started as a misguided attempt to protect minors from ‘explicit’ content online has spiraled into a tangled mess of privacy-invasive surveillance schemes affecting skincare products, dating apps, and even diet pills, threatening everyone’s right to privacy."
Three amicus briefs were submitted to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday supporting California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) in a case about a bill regulating social media feeds for minors. The legislation, S.B.-976, would make it illegal for internet-based services and applications to provide an addictive feed to a user younger than 18 unless the operator does not know that the user is a minor.
State fervor for child online safety bills continued apace this week. Wyoming and Utah approved age-verification measures, while several states advanced bills or introduced them. Kids privacy and online safety have been a major focus for state legislatures this year (see 2502250017 and 2501170053). Accordingly, Privacy Daily is tracking more than 100 of these bills across the country (see map).
A U.S. district court judge approved an agreement by the parties Tuesday delaying California AG Rob Bonta (D) from enforcing certain provisions of the state’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act until at least April 5. NetChoice is challenging the legislation in court.
The Utah legislature approved legislation requiring age verification for app stores. The Senate voted 25-1 Wednesday to concur with the House-amended SB-142 after that chamber passed the bill 64-3 Tuesday. The Senate first passed the bill on Feb. 10 (see 2502110047).
Legislation introduced by Republicans on Wednesday would require pornography websites to verify age, a concept that has drawn objections from privacy advocates.
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) signed legislation requiring adult websites to verify users’ ages, the governor’s office said Thursday.
A video games industry lobbyist raised questions Thursday about Meta’s involvement in an Alabama child online safety bill requiring app stores to check users’ ages. However, at a livestreamed hearing, the Alabama Senate Children Committee supported SB-187, an app store age-verification bill spotted in several other states including Utah. The panel also cleared SB-186, requiring that phone and tablet manufacturers activate internet filters by default to protect kids.
An Iowa social media bill requiring age verification cleared the state’s House Judiciary Committee by a 19-2 vote on Tuesday. The committee approved HF-278, which says that platforms must not permit those younger than 18 to obtain accounts without parental consent. Child online safety bills advanced in multiple other states this week, too (see 2502250017).