United States of America: App Store Accountability Bill (SB 142) was passed by the Senate

On 10 February 2025, the Utah Senate passed the App Store Accountability Bill (SB 142). The Bill delineates definitions and requirements for app store operators and developers regarding age verification and parental consent for minors. The Bill categorises users into four age groups: child (under 13 years old), younger teenager (13-15), older teenager (16-17), and adult (18+). App store providers are obliged to verify the age categories of users and obtain verifiable parental consent for those under 18 before allowing app downloads or purchases and must notify parents of significant app changes. Developers are obligated to enforce age-based restrictions and safety features using this data. Violations of these provisions constitute deceptive trade practices, enabling affected minors or their parents to initiate civil lawsuits for damages, with a minimum compensation of USD 1'000 per violation. The Bill includes safe harbour protections for developers acting in good faith on age verification data from app stores. The state's Division of Consumer Protection oversees the enforcement of these provisions and establishes rules for age verification methods to ensure compliance.