Utah has become the first state in the U.S. to pass legislation requiring app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps, setting a new precedent in digital child protection laws.

The bill now awaits Governor Spencer Cox’s signature, with most provisions set to take effect on May 7, 2025, if signed into law.

✔ App stores must verify users’ ages at the time of account creation.
✔ Minors must link their app store account to a parent’s account.
✔ Parental consent is required for any app that allows in-app purchases or requires terms and conditions.

Acceptable verification methods include:

• Government-issued ID (e.g., driver’s license, passport).
• Credit card verification.
  Other third-party authentication systems.

Failure to comply could result in penalties for app store operators.

Sen. Todd Weiler (R), the bill’s sponsor, argued that app stores are the easiest enforcement point:

“It’s a lot easier to target two app stores than it is to target 10,000 (app) developers.”

This strategy shifts responsibility away from individual apps and onto Apple and Google, which control the vast majority of mobile app downloads.

✔ Apple and Google argue that age verification should be handled by app developers, not app stores.
✔ Requiring app stores to verify all users’ ages could force them to collect more sensitive data than necessary.
✔ Many children do not have government-issued IDs, meaning parents may have to submit their own sensitive documents.

Apple, which previously lobbied against a similar bill in Louisiana, strongly opposed the legislation, stating:

“Because many kids in the U.S. don’t have government-issued IDs, parents will have to provide even more sensitive documentation just to allow their child to access apps meant for children. That’s not in the interest of user safety or privacy.”

On the other hand, Meta (Facebook, Instagram), X (Twitter), and Snap Inc. (Snapchat) support the bill, as they have been under fire for failing to enforce age restrictions on their platforms.

“Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child’s age and grant permission for them to download apps in a privacy-preserving way. The app store is the best place for it,” Meta, X, and Snap said in a joint statement.

Eight other states—including Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida—are considering similar proposals. The bill follows legal battles over social media age verification laws, with Utah’s own social media verification law currently blocked by a federal court. If upheld, this law could serve as a blueprint for nationwide child protection policies in digital spaces.

If Gov. Cox signs the bill, Utah will officially become the first state to enforce app store age verification. Legal challenges could emerge, particularly over privacy concerns and First Amendment implications. Other states may follow suit or wait to see how enforcement plays out in Utah.