WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the App Store Accountability Act today, a bill providing parents with tools to protect their children from harmful content on mobile apps. Representative John James (R-MI) introduced the companion bill in the House of Representatives.

“For too long, Big Tech has profited from app stores through which children in America and across the world access violent and sexual material while risking contact from online predators,” said Senator Lee. “Our legislation brings age verification and accountability to the source of the problem.”  

“Kids cannot consent — and any company that exposes them to addictive or adult material should be held accountable. The App Store Accountability Act holds Big Tech companies to the same standard as local corner stores. It safeguards the next generation by empowering parents and ensures that when it comes to protecting children, no one is above the law.” - Congressman John James

The App Store Accountability Act empowers parents as decision makers for their children’s online safety and holds app stores responsible for providing safeguards. The legislation requires app stores and developers to protect children by requiring parental approval for app downloads and providing accurate age ratings for apps. The bill also prohibits any selling or sharing of sensitive data or any act that would restrict free speech or expression. 

Support for increased parental empowerment online is widespread and bipartisan. Recent polling shows 88% of parents support requiring app stores to obtain parental approval for minors to download apps, and 68% agree that granting approval through app stores would be the easiest way to provide their consent. 101 advocate organizations for children’s online safety endorsed the App Store Accountability Act in a letter of support led by the Digital Childhood Alliance. The letter can be read here. 

“I started this effort in 2019 with Senator Lee because I saw how easily children were being funneled into danger through apps—often without a parent ever knowing. App stores are the chokepoint, and if we don’t require age checks and consent there, we are failing families. This bill is the solution I wish had existed years ago—and the one we need now more than ever.” - Melissa McKay, Founder, Digital Childhood Alliance and App Store Accountability Movement

“App stores treat children like virtual adults—promoting adult-oriented platforms and allowing minors to accept terms and download any app without parental oversight. Parents, not tech companies, should have the final say over their child’s app usage. This bill restores parents’ digital sovereignty, empowers them to make informed choices, and reestablishes appropriate digital boundaries for children.” - Annie Chestnut Tutor, policy analyst for the Center for Technology and the Human Person at The Heritage Foundation

“For too long, Big Tech has made it nearly impossible to know what our kids are downloading, agreeing to, or being exposed to. While they monetize our children, parents are totally left out of the loop. The App Store Accountability Act gives parents an important tool to protect their children online and off.” - Andrea Sparks, Not on Our Watch

"App stores continue to overlook the age of their users and let kids download apps that require complex terms of service without parental consent, including mature adult apps, like online dating apps. The App Store Accountability Act would change this. It would put parents back in the driver's seat over kids' app experiences, requiring their consent for each app download or purchase. This bill provides the much-needed help that America's parents need!" - Clare Morell, Fellow, The Ethics and Public Policy Center

"This bill is a turning point for families. App stores have operated without oversight for too long, making it impossible for parents to protect their children from harmful content and predators. The App Store Accountability Act doesn't ask for the impossible—it demands the necessary minimum: age verification and real parental consent. With 88% of parents supporting this solution across party lines, we're witnessing a powerful movement for change that cannot be ignored." - Andrea Davis, Founder, Better Screen Time

The App Store Accountability Act empowers parents to protect their children online by:

• Requiring app stores to utilize privacy-protecting age verification methods, and link minor-owned accounts to a parental account—allowing parents to give consent before the minor makes downloads or purchases. 

• Providing a safe harbor for compliant app stores: Platforms can meet minimum standards by offering tools like secure age verification, parental oversight, and accurate app age ratings.

• Requiring transparency and oversight: Annual certifications and a complaint mechanism will ensure tools are effective and loopholes are closed.

• Prohibiting data exploitation: The sale of age-related data collected for verification will be strictly prohibited.

To read Senator Lee’s op-ed for The Hill, click here.

To read CNN’s exclusive coverage, click here.