Apple declared yesterday its intention to adhere to a Texas age verification statute and cautioned that the modifications necessitated by the legislation will compromise app users’ privacy.
“Starting January 1, 2026, a new law in Texas—SB2420—mandates age verification standards for app marketplaces and developers,” Apple stated yesterday in a announcement for developers. “While we align with the aim of enhancing children’s online security, we are apprehensive that SB2420 threatens user privacy by mandating the collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information to download any app, even for users merely wanting to view the weather or sports results.”
The Texas App Store Accountability Act necessitates app stores to confirm users’ ages and applies limitations on those younger than 18. Apple indicated that developers will have “to implement new functionalities and alter behavior within their apps to fulfill their responsibilities under the law.”
Apple’s announcement highlighted that analogous laws will be enforced later in 2026 in Utah and Louisiana. Google also recently revealed its strategy for adherence to the three state laws, noting that the new stipulations compromise user privacy.
“Despite our concerns regarding user privacy and trust relating to these new verification statutes, Google Play is creating APIs, systems, and tools to assist you in satisfying your obligations,” Google informed developers in an undated article.
The Utah statute is set to commence on May 7, 2026, while the Louisiana statute will take effect on July 1, 2026. The Texas, Utah, and Louisiana “laws impose substantial new obligations on many apps that may need to offer age-appropriate experiences to users in these regions,” Google remarked. “These requirements encompass collecting users’ age ranges and parental consent status for significant adjustments from app stores and alerting app stores of key modifications.”
New functionalities for Texas
Both Apple and Google unveiled new functionalities to aid developers in compliance.
“Once this law is enacted, users in Texas creating a new Apple Account will have to confirm whether they are 18 years or older,” Apple mentioned. “All new Apple Accounts for users under 18 will need to participate in a Family Sharing group, and parents or guardians will be required to provide consent for all App Store downloads, app purchases, and transactions made by the minor through Apple’s In-App Purchase system.”
