In a significant policy standoff, Google has rejected Meta’s proposal to have app stores manage age verification and parental consent for underage users. While Meta argues this would simplify age screening across platforms, Google called the plan “concerning”, citing serious privacy risks and excessive data sharing.
🧩 What Meta Proposed
Meta wants Apple and Google’s app stores to take over age checks for users under 18. The idea is that users would verify their age once at the app store level, and that verification would apply across all apps—making platforms like Instagram and Facebook easier to manage for teens and their parents.
Meta’s Argument:
- Reduces need for users to share age with every app
- Offers consistency and centralized parental control
- Simplifies compliance with state laws like Utah’s “App Store Accountability Act”
🚫 Why Google Rejected It
Google’s Objections:
- Too much data sharing: App stores would have to pass age info to millions of developers
- No user control: No clear rules on consent or opt-out for sharing age verification
- Excessive scope: Even low-risk apps would receive age status, exposing personal data
Instead, Google proposes a targeted verification model:
- Age data shared only when necessary
- App developers request age confirmation for sensitive use cases
- Consent and privacy protection built in
⚖️ The Legal Landscape
Meta, Snap, and X have backed state laws like:
- Utah’s App Store Accountability Act (effective May 7, 2025)
- Proposed bills in South Dakota, California, and South Carolina
These laws shift responsibility for age verification to app stores, requiring them to obtain parental consent before minors can download or use apps.
But Google and Apple have opposed these bills, warning they:
- Could force platforms to collect more personal data
- Open doors for legal liability and data misuse
📢 Why It Matters
| Issue | Meta’s View | Google’s View |
|---|---|---|
| Age verification model | Centralized at app store level | App-specific, consent-based |
| User data exposure | Minimal (single check) | High (millions of developers access age) |
| Compliance with state laws | Streamlined through app stores | Better via platform controls |
| Privacy and parental rights | More transparency | Risk of overreach and data leaks |
🔮 What’s Next?
- More state-level laws on online safety are coming. Expect legal battles between tech firms and regulators.
- Tech trials: Google is working on machine learning-based age estimation and Google Wallet ID-based tools for limited-scope verification.
- Public debate: Parents, privacy advocates, and lawmakers will play a role in shaping how digital platforms protect minors.
✅ Summary
Google rejects Meta age verification via apps, favoring a privacy-first, app-specific method. This key disagreement will shape the future of online child safety laws, data sharing, and tech platform responsibility across the U.S.
