| A campaign by social media giant Meta to force app store giants Google and Apple to verify the ages of their users is picking up momentum with legislators in Congress. Federal and state lawmakers have recently proposed a raft of measures requiring that platforms such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram block users under a certain age from using their sites. The push has triggered fierce debate over the best way to ascertain how old users are online. Last year Meta threw its support behind legislation that would push those obligations onto app stores rather than individual app providers, like itself, as your regular host and Naomi Nix reported. While some states have considered the plan, it has not gained much traction in Washington. That could be shifting. Two congressional Republicans are preparing a new age verification bill that places the burden on app stores, according to two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plans. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. John James (R-Michigan) could introduce the legislation imminently, the people said. The bill would be the first of its kind on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have called for expanding guardrails for children amid concerns about the risks of social media, but where political divisions have bogged down talks. The measure would give parents the right to sue an app store if their child was exposed to certain content, such as lewd or sexual material, according to a copy obtained by the Tech Brief. App stores could be protected against legal claims, however, if they took steps to protect children against harms, such as verifying their ages and giving parents the ability to block app downloads. Such a bill would give Meta’s campaign a powerful ally in Lee, the ranking Republican on the Senate’s antitrust subcommittee, who has partnered with Democrats on legislation targeting Google and yes, Meta, over their dominance in digital advertising. Spokespeople for Lee did not respond to requests for comment. Noah Sadlier, a spokesman for James, confirmed the lawmaker is exploring the issue but declined to comment on the timing for a bill. “Congressman James is the father of three school-aged boys," Sadlier said in a statement. “He shares the concerns of many parents across Michigan and the country who believe app stores are not doing enough to protect our kids on social media.” James first floated requiring app stores to verify users’ ages during a House markup in September, when he offered it up as an amendment to a major children’s privacy bill. At the session, James likened the concept to existing requirements that convenience stores check the age of customers before selling them cigarettes, alcohol or lottery tickets. “Going through Apple and Google would leverage [a] tried-and-true policy prescription: make the store age-gate the addictive or harmful products,” he said. Lee voiced support for the idea at the time, posting on X that James was “absolutely right.” Developing consensus on the issue has been a major challenge for lawmakers. Many privacy and digital rights advocates have spoken out against age-verification requirements more broadly, saying they would force companies to collect even more personal information on users. Tech industry groups have echoed those concerns. Even proponents of app store age verification have previously backed alternative plans. Lee proposed legislation in 2022 that would require pornographic websites to use age-verification technology to keep kids out, and James introduced legislation earlier this year to place such requirements on social media companies. Neither mentioned app stores. Still, the campaign is slowly gaining steam despite opposition from the app store giants. Lawmakers in Louisiana considered an app store proposal earlier this year, but the push was ultimately thwarted amid opposition from Apple, which would have had to enforce the standards. Apple argued that social media websites are better suited to police users’ ages. After James unveiled his amendment in September, it drew a rebuke from one tech trade group, the App Association, which according to Bloomberg has received much of its funding from Apple. “This amendment imposes a morass of confusing and even contradictory requirements on parents, developers and the stores themselves,” App Association President Morgan Reed said. That battle may now be heating up on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have the power to set national standards that could override state efforts if they so choose. | 
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