Texas Now Requires Age Verification for App Downloads
A new Texas law requires age verification when downloading certain apps. This may affect how your family downloads apps on phones and tablets.
Source
The Record by Recorded Future
Original headline: Supreme Court allows Texas app law requiring age verification to take effect
Plain-English summary by GetCyberRight. Read the full report at the source above.
The Supreme Court has allowed a new Texas law to take effect that requires age verification for downloading certain applications. The Texas App Store Accountability Act means app stores must verify the age of users before allowing them to download specific apps.
A student advocacy group and tech industry organization had asked the court to block the law while legal challenges continue, but the court declined to do so. If you live in Texas and download apps on your phone or tablet, you may soon be asked to verify your age before downloading certain applications.
This could affect both adults and teenagers in your household. The law targets specific types of apps, though the exact implementation by app store companies like Apple and Google is still being determined. Parents and teens in Texas should expect changes to how app downloads work.
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Right now, continue downloading apps as normal but be prepared for new verification steps. When prompted to verify age, follow the instructions provided by the app store. Parents should discuss with their children what information is appropriate to share during verification processes.
Be cautious about providing sensitive personal information and only complete verification through official app store prompts, not third party websites or pop ups. This is a good time to review what apps your children have on their devices and talk about appropriate app use.
Check your family sharing settings and parental controls on all devices. Stay informed about how app stores implement this law by checking official announcements from Apple and Google in the coming weeks.
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Source: The Record by Recorded FutureStay ahead of cyber threats
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