Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Representative John James of Michigan have reintroduced the App Store Accountability Act. This proposed legislation includes mandatory age verification measures, which, according to critics, risk exposing sensitive information.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) opposes the bill, citing concerns over increased data collection from young people. The association argues that mandatory age verification could subject businesses to unclear compliance requirements and arbitrary enforcement, while threatening consumer privacy and free speech rights.
Matt Schruers, President and CEO of CCIA, commented, “Keeping young people safe online is a shared priority, but mandating identity and biometric collection to go online is not the path forward. 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.”
For over five decades, CCIA has supported protecting young users on the internet through balanced regulation.