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Tim Cook Calls Texas Governor over App Store Age Verification Bill
- Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook reached out to Texas Governor Greg Abbott to request that he either veto or modify a new bill requiring age verification for app store users.
- Texas legislation, approved by overwhelming legislative support and forwarded to Governor Abbott on May 15, 2025, mandates that Apple and Google confirm the age of every app user and alert parents when minors are involved.
- Apple argues age verification should occur at the app level to avoid creating a centralized repository of sensitive data and has intensified lobbying efforts in Texas against the bill.
- Apple spokesperson Peter Ajemian expressed concern that if the bill passes, app stores will have to gather and retain detailed personal information from all Texans who download apps, regardless of the app’s purpose, including those that just offer weather forecasts or sports results.
- If enacted, Texas would be the biggest state to adopt these age verification requirements, potentially encouraging other states to implement similar measures, while also raising concerns about privacy and security risks for minors.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Apple CEO reportedly urged Texas' governor to ditch online child safety bill
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to make changes to or veto a newly passed law in the state that would require the company to verify the ages of device owners, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Apple is hitting back in the war over internet age-gating
Apple CEO Tim Cook personally intervened in an attempt to stop a Texas age verification bill, The Wall Street Journal reports. SB 2420 — passed by the legislature but awaiting a signature by Gov. Greg Abbott — would require app store operators like Apple to verify the age of users accessing their stores. The company’s opposition puts it in conflict with social media giant Meta in an escalating fight over whether and how the internet should be ag…
Apple’s Tim Cook called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to personally lobby against online child safety bill
Apple CEO Tim Cook personally called Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to lobbying against an online child safety bill currently under consideration in the state.
App store age verification as a digital safety solution carries risks
As teens spend increasing time on digital devices and social media, parents and lawmakers debate how best to protect them through regulations focusing on screen time limits and data collection practices. While safety remains paramount, proposed solutions require careful review to prevent new vulnerabilities or significant technical and security risks. One such proposal, as promoted in this commentary in MinnPost, has been to move age verificatio…
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