United States of America: Protection of Children on Applications Act (Act No. 481 / HB 570) enters into force

On 1 July 2026, Louisiana’s Protection of Children on Applications Act (Act No. 481 / HB 570) enters into force following its approval during the 2025 Regular Session. Codified as R.S. 51:1771–1775 under Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, the Act establishes statutory obligations for covered application store providers and developers offering digital applications to minors. Application stores must verify users’ age categories using commercially available methods, including real-time systems authorised by the Office of Motor Vehicles, and obtain verifiable parental consent before minors may download or purchase applications or make in-application purchases. Developers must verify user age categories through data shared by application stores, enforce parental-consent requirements, apply industry standards for age ratings and content descriptions, and implement age-appropriate safety defaults. The Act further prohibits contractual enforcement against minors without verified consent and restricts the use of age-verification data to compliance purposes. Enforcement authority rests with the Attorney General, who may issue written notices of violation, provide a 45-day period for corrective action, and impose civil penalties of up to USD 10'000 per violation and USD 5'000 for breaches of court or administrative orders.