January 2024 I&A Update:

A New Age Verification Proposal

Meta is pushing for rival tech giants such as Google and Apple to play a bigger role in keeping teens off potentially harmful sites, calling for the first time for legislation to require app stores to get parental approval when users age 13 to 15 download apps. As conversations about kids’ online safety continue, Meta, the global tech giant that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp recently outlined a proposal calling on the U.S. Congress to create legislation that would put the responsibility for age verification on app stores and parents. The company’s proposal, detailed in a blog post, would require app stores to notify parents whenever a child, ages 13-15, attempts to download an app. Parents could then decide if they approve of the download.

This debate is likely to be a topic of conversation at a high-profile January 31 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on kids’ online safety at which Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, along with the heads of X, Snap, Discord, and TikTok, are all expected to testify.

Visit the MassCUE Influence & Advocacy Committee page to learn more about our Committee and how to get involved.