Post by : Rameen Ariff

Apple CEO Tim Cook held a series of meetings with members of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday as he urged lawmakers to reconsider a proposed federal online safety bill that could require app stores to verify the ages of all users, including minors. The tech giant wants parents—not companies—to decide whether to share their child’s age with app platforms.

The bill, known as the App Store Accountability Act, aims to ensure that minors are protected from harmful online content. Supporters argue it will strengthen online safety standards across the United States, while critics warn it could lead to intrusive data collection.

Texas has already enacted a similar law that requires parental consent for app downloads and in-app purchases for users under 18. Utah passed a related law earlier this year, and Australia recently introduced a nationwide ban preventing under-16s from accessing social media without parental approval.

While the idea of age restrictions on digital platforms has wide support, the legislation has sparked a behind-the-scenes clash among major tech companies. Apple and Google, which operate the world’s largest app stores, say mandatory age verification could force them to collect sensitive documents such as birth certificates from users—raising serious privacy concerns. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has argued the opposite, saying app stores are the only effective gatekeepers to enforce age limits.

Apple, long known for its strong stance on user privacy, fears the legislation could compel it to gather identifying information from nearly all of its customers. On Wednesday, Cook met members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Capitol Hill to express these concerns.

Hilary Ware, Apple global head of privacy, noted in a letter to the committee that not all proposals offer equal protection. She warned that marketplace-level age checks could require people to share sensitive information even for simple apps such as weather or sports updates.

Public opinion, however, shows strong support for parental oversight. A Pew Research survey in 2023 found that 81% of Americans favour requiring parental consent for children to create social media accounts, while 71% support mandatory age verification before using social platforms.

As the debate continues, the online safety bill, privacy rights, and tech industry responsibilities remain at the core of a growing national conversation about how best to protect children in the digital age.

#Global News