Google is pushing back against efforts by other major technology companies to place the responsibility of age verification on app stores, contending that both app stores and developers should share the burden of enhancing child safety.
In a blog post published on Wednesday, Google criticized what it described as “concerning legislation” in Utah. The state recently became the first in the U.S. to pass a law requiring app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent before allowing minors to download applications.
“The bill requires app stores to share if a user is a kid or teenager with all app developers (effectively millions of individual companies) without parental consent or rules on how the information is used,” said Kareem Ghanem, Google’s director of public policy.
According to Ghanem, such a requirement poses serious privacy and security risks. “That raises real privacy and safety risks, like the potential for bad actors to sell the data or use it for other nefarious purposes,” he warned.
Google maintains that the level of data sharing mandated by the legislation is excessive. The company argues that the bill would ultimately relieve social media platforms of their responsibility to ensure that minors only see age-appropriate content.
Additionally, Google expressed concerns that requiring parental consent could interfere with how parents choose to supervise their children and could even restrict teenagers’ access to essential services such as navigation apps.
The bill now awaits a decision from Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R). If signed into law, most of its provisions would take effect on May 7.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has backed the legislation, along with social media platforms X and Snap. These companies argue that app stores should be responsible for verifying children’s ages rather than the individual platforms themselves.
However, Google has been advocating for an alternative approach—one that ensures “appropriate user consent” while also reducing the amount of sensitive data exposed.
The company has proposed a system where an “age signal” would be shared only with user or parental consent and only with developers of apps that could pose risks to minors.
“By just sharing with developers who need the information to deliver age-appropriate experiences, and only sharing the minimum amount of data needed to provide an age signal, it reduces the risk of sensitive information being shared broadly,” Ghanem explained.
Google argues that app developers are best suited to determine when age verification is necessary, as they have the most knowledge about their applications.
“Because developers know their apps best, they are best positioned to determine when and where an age-gate might be beneficial to their users, and that may evolve over time, which is another reason why a one-size-fits-all approach won’t adequately protect kids,” the company stated.
Under Google’s proposed framework, app stores would only provide “industry standard age assurances” to developers who require age-based restrictions. The company also suggested creating a centralized dashboard that would allow parents to manage their children’s digital experiences.
Google reaffirmed its commitment to child safety by reiterating its support for banning personalized advertisements targeted at users under the age of 18.
When asked about Google’s position, Meta’s senior public affairs manager Jamie Radice defended the Utah legislation and emphasized the need for app stores to take on a more significant role in online child safety.
“Parents across the country are calling for app stores to do more to keep children safe online, and 14 US states and federal lawmakers have introduced legislation that responds to their concerns,” Radice stated.
She acknowledged Google’s willingness to share age-related data with developers but questioned how the company would determine which applications should receive such information.
“We welcome Google’s concession that they can share age information with app developers, and we agree this should be done in a privacy-preserving manner. But with millions of apps on Google’s app store, and more added every day, it’s unclear how they’ll determine which apps are eligible to receive this data,” Radice said.
Apple, which operates one of the largest app stores alongside Google, has also opposed Utah’s legislation.
Earlier this month, Apple introduced a new “age assurance” technology that allows parents to select their child’s age range instead of providing an exact birth date when setting up child accounts.
