Texas has enacted a new online child safety law mandating that Apple and Google verify the ages of users accessing their app stores. This legislation aims to protect children from inappropriate content in apps, including social media and dating platforms. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill, which has faced significant opposition from Apple. The company argues that such regulations breach its privacy commitments by requiring the collection and sharing of users’ ages with third-party applications. Historically, Apple has successfully lobbied against similar measures in various states, including proposals that would have allowed alternative payment methods within its App Store.
Why do we care?
Texas’ new law forces Apple and Google to become age enforcers — not just platform providers. That’s a fundamental shift in liability. This continues a broader trend: governments redefining digital intermediaries as compliance gatekeepers. Whether it’s content moderation, data privacy, or now age checks, regulators are pushing enforcement obligations downstream.
Expect more platform compliance asks — and client needs to build systems that align with both privacy and age verification mandates.
Start tracking cross-jurisdictional app regulation as a core competency, especially for clients in education, social, or health tech.
Use this moment to offer advisory services on privacy-aware data collection, federated identity, and age-gating best practices.