Journey to Protecting Children in Digital Spaces: How Utah Became a Model for App Store Accountability

By Melissa McKay

Utah made history last week by passing the nation’s first App Store Accountability Act, a groundbreaking step in protecting children online. While the legislative session lasted just six weeks, the road to this victory took nearly a decade.

In 2017, I started hearing disturbing stories about children being exploited on smartphones. As I dug deeper, I was alarmed by what I found.

I found that app stores operated like the Wild West, entirely unregulated. Their age ratings were deceptive, and parental controls were riddled with loopholes. Social media apps, rated safe for 12-year-olds, were anything but safe. Hardcore porn was easily accessible to kids of all ages. When I set up test child accounts, I was flooded with direct messages from predators within minutes of posting a simple cartoon selfie.

Taking the Fight to Washington

In 2019, I connected with Senator Mike Lee when he held a congressional hearing to expose the dangers of deceptive app ratings and faulty parental controls. My friend Chris McKenna of Protect Young Eyes testified, alongside other experts, about the devastating impact on children.

That hearing sparked the Fix App Ratings movement, led by a coalition of advocates, including Dawn Hawkins of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. We called on Apple and Google to give parents the informed consent they deserve. House Speaker Mike Johnson even introduced a congressional resolution urging app stores to fix their ratings and streamline parental controls.

Yet, Apple and Google refused to act.

In 2021, we sent a coalition letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives. When nothing changed, we launched a second national movement: Default2Safety. Over the next three years, we wrote more letters, held more meetings, and demanded accountability.

From Advocacy to Legislation

Frustrated by corporate inaction, our team took matters into our own hands. We started drafting child safety legislation and policy papers.

In 2024, we secured a major win with the Children’s Device Protection Act, requiring default porn filters for minors in Utah.

Finally, in 2025, after nearly two years of preparation and input from dozens of advocacy groups and legal experts, we introduced the App Store Accountability Act. On March 5, 2025, the Utah Legislature passed the bill by an overwhelming majority.

Our voices have been ignored for almost a decade. App stores have made no effort to ensure child safety. Young children and teens alike are operating as adults in digital spaces – gaining access to any app in the app stores without parental consent.

But, Utah listened. Governor Spencer Cox and the Legislature stepped up to protect children where tech giants refused.

This victory is just the beginning. Other states are watching and joining our efforts. As we continue this fight, one thing is clear: Parents deserve the truth, and children deserve to be protected.

Please join us and help make your state the next state to pass the App Store Accountability Act.