United States of America: App Store Accountability Act (SB 142) was signed by Governor

On 5 March 2025, the Governor of Utah signed the App Store Accountability Bill (SB 142) into law, instituting a legal framework for age verification and parental consent in app store activities. 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 and ensures that the requirements do not impede emergency services or necessary data collection. The state's Division of Consumer Protection oversees the enforcement of these provisions and establishes rules for age verification methods to ensure compliance.