Apple resists as Texas prepares to require age verification for app downloads

Apple resists as Texas prepares to require age verification for app downloads

Apple is ramping up its battle against a Texas proposal that would force app-store operators to check the age of users and tie children's accounts to parental consent, a step that promises to disrupt the iPhone maker's profitable digital marketplace and raise far-reaching privacy issues. In an unusual display of personal engagement, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook phoned Texas Governor Greg Abbott last week, asking him to amend or veto the bill, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The bill, approved by the Texas legislature with veto-proof majorities, puts Texas on the path to becoming the largest state to pass so-called "app-store accountability" law. The law would require Apple and Google to authenticate a device owner's age and enforce parental controls if the user is a minor—requiring parental approval for all app downloads.

Apple and tech giants launch lobbying campaign

Cook's in-person lobbying makes clear the bill's importance to Apple's business. The company has intensified Austin lobbying efforts, using six registered lobbyists and funding an interest group that has run targeted digital ads criticising the bill. Google and Meta Platforms have also taken to the issue, with a total of 20 lobbyists on it.

The tech sector contends that the bill, while presented as child-safety reform, would create a dangerous precedent by mandating that app marketplaces gather and store intimate personal data from all users, such as those who download benign apps like weather or sports sites. "It jeopardizes user privacy," Apple said in a statement, threatening that the bill would mean "every Texan who wants to download an app" would have to provide personal identifying information.

Meta has advocated app-store-level age verification as an industry standard in general, saying it prevents requiring each application to gather personal data separately. The business favours the practice but is against across-the-board mandates that place complete responsibility on app platforms while exempting apps from compliance expense.

A model for national legislation?

Texas's effort is being closely monitored. Another bill moved through Utah, and age-verification legislation has been proposed in at least nine other states, with federal legislators also working on a bill. Supporters of the Texas legislation, such as Republican State Senator Angela Paxton, say it provides parents much-needed control in an online world where children have access to far more content than their years.

“The more we can educate parents about what their kids are actually interacting with and equip them to make good parenting choices, then I believe we're all better off," Paxton said.

The bill's critics argue that it disproportionately burdens app marketplaces and could result in mass censorship. Some lawyers warn that outright regulation of individual apps may face First Amendment scrutiny, so regulating app stores is an easier legally sound route for lawmakers who want to limit access to content.

Cook intervenes as pressure mounts

Apple has fought similar bills in other states, successfully blocking a version in Louisiana last year—though that bill has since returned. With Texas advancing rapidly, Cook’s decision to get personally involved mirrors his past efforts to influence federal policy, including direct outreach to President Trump on tariff issues.

Texas Governor Abbott has not yet indicated if he will sign the bill. A spokesperson indicated he is considering the legislation and restated that "safety and online privacy for Texas children remains a priority."

Cook's intervention follows at-large regulatory scrutiny on Apple. Last week, a court ruling forced Apple to loosen its control over in-app purchases, and the European Union is now pursuing a weakening of Apple's app-store commissions, too.

What's next?

If enacted, the Texas bill would bring a new era of app access regulated by age and trigger other states to follow suit—compelling Apple, Google, and app creators to transform compliance systems across the country.

For the time being, the tech sector waits for Abbott's signature. But while they keep pushing discreetly behind the scenes, businesses are setting up for a post-signature legal fight—maybe one that probes the tension between child safety, privacy rights, and responsibility of the platform.