Utah becomes the first state to pass an app store age verification bill

Utah became the first state in the country to pass legislation requiring app store operators to verify users’ ages and require parental consent for minors to download apps.

The App Store Accountability Act is the latest kids online safety bill to head to head to the governors’ desk, as states across the country and the federal legislature have tried to impose a variety of design regulations and age gating requirements to protect minors from online harms. Much of the legislation that has advanced through the states has been blocked in the courts,…