Utah has passed a new law requiring Apple and Google to verify user ages for their mobile app stores. Governor Spencer Cox signed the App Store Accountability Act on March 26, 2025, making Utah the first state in the U.S. to implement such legislation.
The law places the responsibility of age verification on app stores rather than individual apps. This means that Apple and Google will need to confirm users’ ages when new accounts are created in Utah. For users under 18, the companies must link the account to a parent’s account or seek additional documentation.
One important point of the law is that parental consent will be required for in-app purchases by minors. This measure aims to protect children who may not fully understand app terms of service or the implications of certain online activities.
Apple has already prepared for this change by announcing new age assurance features. These include asking for age range during account setup, providing a “Connect to Family” option for parental consent, updating age range categories for apps, and creating a Declared Age Range API for developers.
The law has received support from some tech companies. Meta, Snap, and X issued a joint statement in favor of Utah’s new legislation, saying it provides a “one-stop shop” for parents to oversee and approve apps their teens want to download.
However, the law has also raised questions about privacy and data protection. Some digital privacy groups have opposed the law, expressing concerns about how sensitive age verification data will be used or protected.
The App Store Accountability Act is set to take effect on May 7, 2025. However, it may face legal challenges regarding its constitutionality. Other states, such as South Carolina and California, are considering similar legislation, which could lead to a wave of comparable laws across the country.
This new law represents a big change in how online age verification is conducted and could have far-reaching implications for app stores, developers, and users across the United States.
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