Texas governor signs new law requiring Apple and Google to verify all app store users’ ages

Google and Apple will soon be required to verify app store users’ ages in Texas, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the rule into law on Tuesday.

Google and Apple will soon be required to verify app store users’ ages in Texas, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the rule into law on Tuesday. The Texas App Store Accountability Act follows similar legislation that passed in Utah earlier this year, although it requires the app stores to collect even more user data. Enforcement of the Texas law is set to begin at the start of next year — giving app stores several months to determine how they will collect this information. The bill was passed with super-majority approval by the Texas House and Senate. It’s part of a broader push for regulation to better protect kids online, with lawmakers and some social media companies arguing that app stores should serve as centralized clearinghouses for verifying users’ ages. A handful of other US states have proposed similar legislation. But the app store operators, as well as some experts, say the age verification rules could pose privacy risks and be difficult to enforce. “We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement regarding the bill last week. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Abbott earlier this month to encourage him not to sign the bill as written, according to a Wall Street Journal report. A representative for Abbott did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. Like Utah’s law, the Texas bill requires app stores to verify all users’ ages and obtain parental consent before minor users download or make a purchase through an app. They’re also required to share “age categories” — child, young teenager, older teenager or adult — with app developers so that, at least in theory, they can provider safer experiences for young users.