More than four million children in America suffer from a serious mental disorder. Given the prevalence of mental health disorders among youth, we need fundamental changes to our existing systems to improve outcomes for our children. Most importantly, we must ensure parents are equipped with the tools and resources they need to keep their children safe and healthy. One area where parents are currently lacking meaningful safeguards is the digital world.
Children and teenagers are experiencing more negative encounters online than ever before, and parents are in the dark. A 2024 Heat Initiative study discovered 200 apps in a 24-hour period with inappropriate content – ranging from dieting apps, violent or sexual games, beauty filters and anonymous chat forums – that were rated for suitable children on the app store. Even when the content is not suitable for vulnerable age groups, but the “age-appropriate” ratings tell parents otherwise. As parents, it is nearly impossible to navigate the digital landscape for our children when the system is working against us.
Legislative action is necessary to provide parents with proper guardrails over their children’s access to the digital world. The federal App Store Accountability Act (HR 3149), which recently advanced out of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, would do just that. Now is the time for Texas’s congressional delegation to stand with Texas parents, fight for a safer online future for children, and support the App Store Accountability Act.
The App Store Accountability Act tackles online dangers at the source: app marketplaces that sell unsuitable content to minors without parental oversight and bind them to legally enforceable contracts. Today, every dangerous application is only a few taps away, making harmful content far too accessible to minors.
This legislation places power back in parents’ hands. The App Store Accountability Act would require app stores to obtain verifiable parental consent before minors can download apps or make in-app purchases. It would also ensure that app age ratings accurately reflect in-app experiences. As a byproduct, the App Store Accountability Act encourages meaningful conversations between parents and teens about the content they consume and the apps they use.
Last year, the Texas legislature demonstrated leadership by passing the Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) with overwhelming bipartisan support. After Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law, the Big Tech-backed Computer & Communications Industry Association sued seeking to block it from going into effect arguing it’s unconstitutional. Federal Judge Robert Pitman granted a preliminary injunction in the case, which is expected to be reversed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The lawsuit argues that the bill restricts free speech, but that claim overlooks the bill’s fundamental purpose: regulating contracts between minors and digital marketplaces.
When a child downloads an application without parental consent from the app store, they agree to complex, legally binding terms and conditions they cannot fully understand. A minor cannot sign a contract in the physical world without parental permission, and doing so in the digital world should not be any different. While Texas awaits the outcome of its state law, our federal representatives should make progress now.
The majority of parents nationwide, 88%, support requiring parental controls before children download apps. Now that the bill has passed through the Energy & Commerce Committee, with the support of Republican U.S. Reps. Randy Weber and Craig Goldman, we urge Texas’s entire delegation to stand with the overwhelming majority of parents and move this legislation through the House of Representatives.
Lawmakers must prioritize combatting our youth mental health crisis. They must properly equip parents with the authority and tools to decide what content their children can and cannot access. The App Store Accountability Act provides those essential protections.
