In a recent legislative showdown in Louisiana, Apple found itself at the center of a heated debate over child safety and smartphone use. Freshman legislator Kim Carver introduced a bill aimed at protecting minors from the harms of social media.
The legislation wants to impose stricter controls on how social media platforms collect data and target content to minors while also suggesting that tech giants like Apple and Google play a role in age verification.
Carver’s proposal initially did not involve Apple, but after discussions with tech companies, a provision was added that would require app stores to verify the age of users. This move was seen as a way to create a single point of accountability for age verification, rather than relying on individual apps to manage it themselves. But, this quickly drew the rage of Apple’s lobbying team.
Apple argued that the responsibility for age verification should lie with social media platforms themselves, not with smartphone manufacturers. The company said that sharing user age data with third-party apps could violate privacy expectations. Even though Apple didn’t agree, Carver’s law proposal was accepted by all members of the Louisiana House. This made Apple work harder to persuade people to their side.
Apple had a big impact on the bill when it went to the Senate. Apple said it might take legal action if the part about app stores wasn’t removed from the ruling. This led to the removal of that part, and then the bill was passed easily. Now, the bill only aims to control social media websites.
Carver expressed disappointment over the removal of the app store requirement but remains determined to revisit the issue. His experience with Apple’s parental controls on his daughter’s iPhone backed his belief in the need for comprehensive regulation that includes app stores.
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