We are an alliance fighting for policies that prioritize parent empowerment and children’s online well-being, because every child deserves a thriving and safe childhood.
App Store
Accountability
Putting Kids BeforeBig Tech Profits
App stores connect children to millions of apps but fail to protect them by requiring age verification, parental consent, or accurate app age ratings.
It’s time for #AppStoreAccountability: safe kids, empowered parents, and a brighter digital future.
Did You Know That?
Google and Apple do not require parental supervision at the age of 13, leaving teens vulnerable to online harm
Apple’s App Store rated 200+ dangerous apps as safe for kids
of U.S. adults support requiring parental consent for minors to create social media accounts
of U.S. adults favor requiring users to verify their age before accessing social
of second graders use social media apps
of 14-year olds in the U.S. own a smartphone
of children lie about their age online
of parents
use age ratings
The
Problem
A SYSTEM THAT LEAVESPARENTS POWERLESS
Parents are undermined by app stores which fail to safeguard children, allow minors to download and purchase apps without parental approval, and mislead families with inaccurate app ratings and content descriptors.
A father recounted how his 14-year-old daughter downloaded a social media app without his knowledge and was soon targeted by an online predator. “We had no idea she was even using the app,” the father lamented. “We would have never consented.”
The
Solution
ENACT COMMON-SENSELEGISLATION TO PROTECT CHILDREN
The App Store Accountability Act closes critical gaps in child safety by requiring app store-level age verification, accurate content ratings, and parental consent for downloads by minors.
For years, we’ve pleaded with Apple and Google to step up and protect families, but they have consistently fallen short with insufficient efforts. These straightforward measures are essential to safeguard our privacy and ensure our children’s safety. It’s time to act—our kids can’t wait.
You Can Make A Difference
Digital Childhood Alliance
Join the movement to protect kids online and help us pass the App Store Accountability act
Voices For App Store Accountability
Tech Policy Center Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation
Vice President, Public Policy, National Center on Sexual Exploitation
Attorney, Utah State Senator
State Representative, South Carolina
Child Advocate, Parental Controls and Device Safety Expert
Founder, Protect Young Eyes, and Executive Director of the PYE Foundation
Executive Director, The Institute for Family Studies, Director Family First Technology Initiative
Chief Executive Officer, National Center on Sexual Exploitation
President, The Digital Progress Institute
Fellow and Director of Technology and Human Flourishing Project, The Ethics and Public Policy Center
Senior Vice President, Family Policy Foundation and Family Policy Alliance
Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia
Founder and President of Utah Parents United
President and CEO Enough is Enough
Director of Policy, American Principles Project (APP)
Progress And Updates
Apple’s App Store Puts Kids a Click Away From a Slew of Inappropriate Apps
Analysis recommends that Apple, an emerging target for digital-safety advocates, apply independent review for software age ratings. By Aaron Tilley | wsj.com
The Kids Online Safety Act was a good start, but app stores need accountability too
History’s first “digital natives,” members of Gen Z, are experiencing such acute levels of emotional…
Don’t Let App Stores Off the Hook
On July 9, for the first time, federal regulators banned a digital platform from serving…
Enlist the App Stores to Protect Kids Online
Apple and Google application stores can use information they already have to shield children from…
Making Smartphones and App Stores Safe for Kids: Federal, State, and Industry Measures
In a new policy brief from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) and the Ethics…