By AZ Capitol Times
Alabama lawmakers are fast-tracking a Meta-backed bill to require Apple and Google to age-gate their app stores to protect kids, one of several states considering such measures despite a recent court ruling that blocked a similar Texas law.
The Alabama House passed the measure last month, and a Senate committee advanced it last week, both on unanimous votes. The Senate approved a similar bill last year.
So-called App Store Accountability bills also received hearings in Kansas and New Hampshire last week and are active in Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia.
The bills would require app stores to verify a user’s age and ensure that minors obtain parental permission to download an app or make an in-app purchase. Supporters say age-gating app stores is a way to make the online ecosystem safer for kids.
