Apple won't share the age of App Store users with all app developers
A bill from Louisiana wanted to oblige app stores to verify the age of third-party apps. The iPhone manufacturer refused.
App Store icon: Apple has user data, but prefers to keep it to itself.
(Image: Tada Images / Shutterstock)
In the US state of Louisiana, a proposed law on the protection of children and minors was rejected, which sought to oblige the operators of app stores to cooperate in the enforcement of age restrictions for third-party applications. Apple stuck to its guns and successfully defended itself –. The case is particularly interesting with regard to EU legislation, as the draft law on chat control also stipulates that the major app stores should check the age of their users.
The Louisiana bill was actually about regulating the use of smartphones by children and young people. In recent months, several US states have proposed or passed laws aimed at restricting the ability of social media platforms to collect data from minors. In Louisiana, the distribution of non-age-appropriate personalized advertising and the creation of user accounts without parental consent are also to be prohibited. The bill threatens platforms that do not take appropriate precautions with "substantial penalties".
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Apple was initially left out of the debate, as the iPhone manufacturer is not known to operate any social media. However, this changed when Republican MP Kim Carver included a provision in the corresponding Louisiana bill at the beginning of the year after consulting with a lobbyist from Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta. The bill would require app store operators to cooperate with age verification and exclude minors from using certain apps.
Meta lobbies, but Apple wins
Representatives of social media platforms and child protection groups welcomed the amendment. They also saw the operators of app stores as having a duty: age verification carried out on a per-app basis is a futile approach, Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes, an initiative that campaigns for child protection in the digital space, told the Wall Street Journal. Every smartphone knows the age of its users. McKenna also advises Apple, among others, on digital child protection issues.
A spokeswoman for Meta also told the Wall Street Journal that it would be "impractical" to leave age verification to the operators of social media platforms. With offerings such as the iOS App Store or Google's Play Store, there is already a central location where this can be done. This would also relieve the burden on parents, who would no longer have to provide proof of identity for every single app their children use.
Parents can control device use
Apple took a different view. Meta was trying to pass its problems with the protection of minors onto the company, the group said. Apps and websites are best placed to check the age of their users themselves. Sharing the age of users with third-party apps would also violate the privacy of users, said a spokesperson for the company. He added that the operating system provided parents with tools to control their children's device usage.
In Louisiana, the amendment to require Apple and other app store operators to verify age was ultimately removed from the bill. Its effectiveness had not been proven. Since the law was passed, social network operators are now obliged to verify the age of their users residing in Louisiana.
Gatekeepers should take action in the EU
Politicians in Germany are also calling for stricter age checks for social networks. The Digital Services Act (DSA), which has been in force since November 16, 2022, has long recommended that very large online platforms with more than 45 million monthly users carry out age checks.
Should the EU Commission resume negotiations on chat controls, which are currently on hold, there is another point on which the company would disagree with the EU Commission's proposed legislation, in addition to Apple's refusal to scan user data stored in iCloud for CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material). Not to mention the major conflict over the opening of the App Store as part of the Digital Market Act (DMA).
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