The Utah Legislature on Wednesday became the first in the nation to approve a state law giving parents control over whether minor children can download an app.
The bill will go to the desk of Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, but it's unclear if he will sign the law into effect. He had supported related legislation but that law was blocked by a federal court.
There is a continuing battle between content platforms and app stores over which entities should be responsible for verifying ages. Some say it's easier to put the requirement on app stores compared to the significantly larger number of app providers.
Meta, which operates Facebook, has been vocal about the need for parental approval for app downloads, but it does not want the responsibility. Meta wrote on its teen safety web page it wants a national standard.
"Parents should approve their teen's app downloads, and we support federal legislation that requires app stores to get parents' approval whenever their teens under 16 download apps," Meta wrote.
The Utah legislation will take effect May 7 if Cox signs it into law.
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