Google unhappy with Meta-backed online child safety bill

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Meta has been working on laws that require app stores to give parents control over what apps their kids can download. 

The company recently saw progress in Utah, where a new law, the App Store Accountability Act, was passed. 

This law gives responsibility to app store operators, making them accountable for ensuring children don’t access inappropriate content. 

Similar laws are being considered in multiple states as part of a broader push for stronger online child safety measures.

While Meta and other social media platforms support this move, Google strongly opposes it. 

Google argues that the law could create serious privacy risks instead of genuinely protecting kids. 

The law requires app stores to share with all app developers whether a user is a child or teenager. 

Google worries this could lead to bad actors misusing this data, such as selling it or using it for harmful purposes. 

Google also believes that Meta and other social media companies benefit the most from this law because it shifts the responsibility away from them and onto app stores.

Both Meta and Google’s YouTube have faced criticism for not doing enough to protect kids online. 

Critics have accused them of exposing children to harmful content, such as videos that attract predators or content that negatively affects teenagers’ mental health. Both companies claim they have strong policies to ensure safe online experiences.

Meta argues that the best way to keep kids safe is to give parents control over app downloads. 

The company believes app stores should be responsible for verifying users’ ages and obtaining parental consent before allowing kids to install apps. 

According to Meta, this method would also protect privacy because individual apps wouldn’t have to collect sensitive information from users.

Google, however, proposes a different approach. It suggests that app stores should only share age information with developers who truly need it, not indiscriminately for all apps. 

Google also emphasizes that developers, not app stores, should decide how to protect younger users based on their specific apps. 

Additionally, Google wants stricter consequences for developers who misuse age-related data.

Whose side are you on with this one? Do you think this would be a good law, or do you think Google is correct? Tell us what you think below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.