Meta is trying to ‘offload’ kids safety onto app stores with new bills, Google says
1 min read
Summary
Google has said that Meta’s efforts to pass legislation requiring tech companies to verify the ages of users so as to prevent them from accessing inappropriate content are misguided attempts to “offload” the social media giant’s own responsibility to keep children safe.
The comments follow the passage of the ‘App Store Accountability Act’ in Utah, which is the first of its kind to advance to the governor’s desk.
Google said the legislation would require app stores to share whether a user is a child or teenager with all app developers without parental consent or rules on how the information is used, thus raising “real privacy and safety risks”.
However, Meta has said that the simplest way to protect teens online is to put parents in charge of what their children can download, and cited the added benefit for users’ privacy.
Google has proposed that only age assurances should be provided to developers for apps that offer risky content, with the discretion for age gating resting with the app developers as they “know their apps best”.