Texas governor signs online safety law in blow to Apple and Google

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an online child safety bill that requires Apple and Google to ensure that their app stores verify the age of users in the nation's second most populous state.

Under the new law, minors will need parental approval before they can download apps or make in-app purchases. The bill was opposed by Google and Apple.

"We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.

Texas follows Utah, another conservative state, which adopted a similar law earlier this year.

At the federal level, US lawmakers have spearheaded the Kids Online Safety Act, known as KOSA, which would require social media companies to make design choices that prevent and mitigate harms to young users.

KOSA was passed by the US Senate last year but stalled in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the US Congress.

The proposed bipartisan legislation, which Apple supports, was reintroduced in Congress earlier this month.

In the absence of a federal law, the states have chosen to come up with their own legislation.

Laws that call for age-verification has long pitted app store providers like Apple and Google against social media companies.

Meta, which owns the social media network Facebook and photo sharing app Instagram, has lobbied for Apple and Google to be responsible for verifying the age of users.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple chief executive Tim Cook called Governor Abbott earlier this month in a bid to stop the passage of the state's bill.

An Apple spokesperson said the tech giant shares "the goal of strengthening kids' online safety" but added it was "deeply concerned" by the threat it believes the law poses to the privacy of all users.

"[I]t requires app marketplaces to collect and keep sensitive personal identifying information for every Texan who wants to download an app, even if it's an app that simply provides weather updates or sports scores," the company spokesperson said.

In February, Apple announced a slew of new child safety measures, including a requirement that users select an age range on a new device.

For users under 13, a parent or guardian must provide consent for a child to use the ‌App Store‌ and other features that require the use of its Face ID.

The law is set to take effect on1 January.

Texas has pressured Silicon Valley through legislation before.

In 2021, the state made it illegal for social media platforms to ban users based on their "political viewpoints" after Republican politicians accused Facebook and the company then known as Twitter of censoring their opinions.

Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.