CCIA: App Store Age Verification Bill Could Expose Sensitive Information

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2025 – New legislation on Capitol Hill has opened a debate on how to keep kids safe online when accessing app stores run by Apple and Google.

The Computer and Communications Industry Association voiced concerns about the App Store Accountability Act in a Thursday release.

“Keeping young people safe online is a shared priority, but mandating identity and biometric collection to go online is not the path forward,” CCIA President and CEO Matthew Schruers said. “Decisions about what content is suitable for teens are best made around the kitchen table. Leading companies provide parents who let their teens go online with better tools every day to decide what guardrails are right for their family.”

Based in Washington, D.C., CCIA is an internet and telecommunications trade group. Its members include Apple, Intel, Meta and Amazon.

The app bill, reintroduced Thursday by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. John James, R-Mich., would require all users to verify their age before accessing the App Store. 

The goal of the bill is to stop children from accessing harmful or inappropriate content.

The legislation would require minors’ devices that could access the app store to have parental controls. The bill would also mandate that apps have an accurate recommended age range based on their content. 

CCIA claimed children were entitled to increased privacy and security online, but the bill would actually serve to increase the amount of sensitive information collected from young people. 

The act was first introduced on Nov. 20, 2024.