Apple CEO Tim Cook has reportedly reached out to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, urging him to veto or amend a recently passed online child safety bill that would require age verification for device users, The Wall Street Journal reports. The legislation, which remains unsigned, mandates that any minor using an Apple device link their App Store account to a parent’s—enabling parents to monitor and approve or deny app downloads.
Apple, alongside Google, has joined forces with privacy advocates to oppose the law, warning it could force app marketplaces to collect and store “sensitive personal identifying information” on every Texan—even for basic apps such as weather or sports scores. “If activated, app marketplaces will be required to collect and keep sensitive personal identifying information for every Texan who wants to download an app,” an Apple spokesperson told the Journal.
Supporters of the Texas online child safety bill argue it gives parents greater parental control over their children’s interaction with smartphones and reduces the risk of minors accessing inappropriate content. Yet privacy experts counter that mandating broad data collection poses a significant threat to user privacy and data security.
Texas is not alone: at least nine other states are considering similar age-verification laws for app stores and digital platforms. Apple successfully blocked a comparable bill in Louisiana last year, though that state is now revisiting the proposal.
As Governor Abbott weighs his decision, the clash highlights the ongoing tension between technology companies, legislators, and privacy advocates over regulating digital environments to protect minors without compromising fundamental data privacy rights.
