Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the App Store Age Verification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill requiring app-store age verification, parental approval for teens
Summary
After a lengthy hearing, an Alabama Senate committee gave Senate Bill 187 a favorable report as amended (7–1–1). Supporters urged requiring app stores to verify age and require parental approval for teens; opponents raised First Amendment, interstate-commerce and small-business concerns.
An Alabama Senate committee voted to report Senate Bill 187 favorably as amended after a public hearing in which technology companies, industry groups and child-safety advocates gave opposing testimony.
SB187 would require app stores to verify the age of users and require parental approval before a teen downloads an app, supporters said. The committee approved the bill as amended by a recorded vote of 7–1–1.
Teresa Robertson, southeast policy manager for Meta, told the committee that app-store age verification is "the easiest, most accurate, and most privacy protective solution" and said it would allow parents to approve downloads from one location rather than provide information to each app individually. "Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child's age before they can download apps," Robertson said.
John Reed of the Digital Childhood Alliance described the approach as a way to avoid First Amendment and other constitutional pitfalls by addressing contracts and consent at the app-store level. "The gateway, the gatekeeper or the app store ... they know your age," Reed said, arguing app stores already collect and can use account-level information to differentiate minors from adults.
Opponents including the Entertainment Software Association and NetChoice argued the proposal raises constitutional issues, could burden interstate commerce, and would impose compliance costs on small developers. Knox Hargone of the Entertainment Software Association urged the committee to "go slowly" and study amendments adopted in other states. Justin Hill of NetChoice warned of First Amendment challenges and urged emphasis on education and parental engagement rather than new mandates.
Committee members debated technical feasibility, the potential regulatory burden on small developers, and the proper role for parents and schools. An amendment discussed in committee clarified sections that could have conflicted with private civil actions, and that amendment was adopted by voice vote before the final roll call.
The committee reported SB187 favorably as amended by a 7–1–1 vote and the bill will proceed toward further legislative consideration.
