Big technologic giants Apple and Google were forced to comply as a new law was signed to verify user ages before letting minors download dangerous apps.
Governor Spencer Cox’s (R-UT) landmark legislation restores parents’ rightful authority over what their children access online, striking a blow against Big Tech companies that have profited while exposing America’s youth to harmful content.
The App Store Accountability Act, signed this week by Governor Cox, represents a revolutionary shift in protecting children from the dangers lurking in their smartphones.
For too long, tech giants have allowed children as young as 12 to access inappropriate content with minimal safeguards, putting profit ahead of their innocence.
This first-in-the-nation law requires Apple and Google’s app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental permission before allowing those under 18 to download certain apps.
State Senator Todd Weiler (R-UT), who supported this legislation, exposed the truth about social media platforms that have misled parents for years: “For the past decade or longer, Instagram has rated itself as friendly for 12 year olds. It’s not.”
This common-sense legislation acknowledges what conservative parents have long understood – children cannot comprehend the complex terms of service they are agreeing to, nor should they be expected to navigate the digital minefield without parental guidance.
The new law, which will take effect on May 7, places responsibility where it belongs—on the tech giants who control the app stores rather than on individual developers.
This approach streamlines protection for families by creating a single point of oversight, likely through credit card verification and linking children’s accounts to their parents.
The legislation ensures that parental authority trumps Big Tech’s desire for unlimited access to impressionable young minds.
Predictably, big tech companies are already expressing concerns over the law. Apple claims individual apps should handle age verification, while Google warns of “privacy risks.”
The Chamber of Progress, a tech industry group funded by these companies, has even suggested the law might face legal challenges, revealing how desperate these corporations are to maintain their unchecked influence over our children.
This groundbreaking legislation comes after social media CEOs faced congressional hearings where they failed to address child safety concerns adequately.
With the Democrat-controlled federal government unable to advance meaningful protections like the Kids Online Safety Act, conservative states are stepping up.
South Carolina and California are already considering similar measures, showing how Utah’s leadership could spark a nationwide movement to restore parental rights in the digital age.
Unlike previous attempts at online safety legislation, this law directly challenges the tech elite who have hidden behind claims of privacy while exposing children to addictive algorithms and inappropriate content.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, faces lawsuits from numerous states over the harmful effects of its platforms on children’s mental health.
Ultimately, Utah’s law serves as a wake-up call that conservative values and family protection will no longer be secondary to Silicon Valley’s agenda.
