App Store Accountability Act
Sponsored By: Senator Mike Lee
Introduced
Summary
This bill would require covered app stores to verify users' ages and obtain verifiable parental consent before minors can download, buy, or make in‑app purchases. It also limits how age information is collected, requires clear age ratings, and creates FTC guidance and compliance checks.
Show full summary
- Parents and families: Parents would use a linked parental account to give verifiable consent and would be notified of significant app changes and if consent is revoked. Age brackets are defined as under 13, 13–16, 16–18, and 18+.
- Covered app store providers: A covered provider is one with more than 5,000,000 U.S. users. Stores would have to request and verify age at account creation, provide real‑time age‑category signals and consent status to developers, limit storage of age data, and use safeguards like encryption.
- App developers: Developers would receive age category and consent signals to enforce age limits, must request age data or consent at downloads and key changes, and must notify stores of significant changes affecting data or monetization.
- Enforcement and oversight: The Federal Trade Commission would issue guidance within one year, run compliance reviews, and certify compliant providers for one year. States could bring parens patriae civil actions with notice to the FTC and the FTC would enforce violations under its existing authorities.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Federal reviews and enforcement for app stores
This bill would let the Federal Trade Commission treat violations as unfair or deceptive acts and use its usual powers to enforce the rules. The Commission would issue guidance within one year, review provider policies on request and certify compliant providers for one year. The law would also allow State attorneys general to sue on behalf of residents after notifying the Commission, with rules for intervention and timing.
New age checks and parental consent
This bill would require large app stores to verify a user’s age when an account is created. If the user is a minor, the store would link the account to a verified parental account and get verifiable parental consent before downloads, purchases, or in-app buys. The bill would set age groups (under 13; 13–15; 16–17; 18+). Stores would limit and protect age verification data and give developers real-time age category and consent status. Developers could recheck age at most once per 12 months, and stores would get new consent if an app makes a significant change.
Which app stores must comply
This bill would apply to any app store with more than 5,000,000 U.S. users. Except where the bill says otherwise, the rules would take effect one year after enactment. Large app stores would need to follow the age, consent, data-sharing, and notice rules in the bill.
Safe harbor for app developers
This bill would create a safe harbor for app developers who relied in good faith on a covered app store’s verified age data or signal and who followed the Act and industry standards. The protection would apply only to claims under this bill and would not remove other legal responsibilities or liability under other laws.
Federal preemption of state rules
This bill would stop States and local governments from keeping or making laws on the same topics covered by this bill. The subsection would not replace or interfere with contract or tort law.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Mike Lee
UT • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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