A Federal App Store Accountability Act Won't Protect Kids Online, Says ITIF
WASHINGTON—In response to Representative John James (R-MI) introducing the App Store Accountability Act—a bill that would require app stores to verify users’ ages—the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from Policy Analyst Alex Ambrose:
This proposal is an incomplete solution to an important issue, since children can access harmful content via both apps and websites. It does no good to only fix one part of the problem, especially if the solution creates new privacy risks, threatens adult access to legal content, and reduces online anonymity.
Congress is rightfully concerned about protecting children's safety online, and now is the time to act since many states are creating their own age verification laws.
A better solution is for Congress to require device operating systems to allow parents to voluntarily designate certain user accounts as belonging to a child and then require apps and websites that host age-restricted content to check for this signal before granting access. This approach would give parents more control over their children's online experience, avoid any impact on adult access to legal content online, and sidestep the privacy and security risks of age verification.
Contact: Nicole Hinojosa, [email protected]
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The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute focusing on the intersection of technological innovation and public policy. Recognized by its peers in the think tank community as the global center of excellence for science and technology policy, ITIF’s mission is to formulate and promote policy solutions that accelerate innovation and boost productivity to spur growth, opportunity, and progress.
