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H 3405

App Store Accountability Act

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Brandon Guffey and 3 co-sponsors

App stores must verify user ages, obtain verifiable parental consent for minors, and provide robust parental controls and clear age-rated content.

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Martin
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 3405

Summary — H 3405: "App Store Accountability Act"

Note: The materials provided for H 3405 include two different bills’ texts: (a) a South Carolina-style “App Store Accountability Act” (detailed below), and (b) an unrelated Massachusetts bill (House No. 3405) to establish permanent standard time. This summary focuses on the App Store Accountability Act content (the App Store provisions appear to be the substantive bill titled “App Store Accountability Act”). Confirm the bill text with the legislative body if you need the final enacted language.

Purpose / Intent

The App Store Accountability Act is designed to strengthen protections for minors who access mobile apps through app stores. Its stated goals are to: (1) ensure app stores verify users’ ages, (2) require verifiable parental consent for minors to download or use apps, (3) improve parental controls and age-rating transparency, and (4) enable developers to receive age/consent signals while preserving adult access to content.

Key provisions

  • Definitions: Establishes detailed age categories (legal adult 21+, adult 18–20, older teenager 17, teenager 13–16, child under 13) and key terms (app, app store, developer, verifiable parental consent, signal, etc.).
  • Age verification (effective Jan 1, 2026): App store providers must determine and verify the age category for every user located in the state using commercially available methods.
  • Verifiable parental consent: Before permitting a minor in the state to download, purchase, or use apps, app stores must obtain verifiable parental consent (by default on a per-download/purchase basis).
  • Parental controls: App stores must provide commercially available mechanisms allowing parents to block downloads unsuitable for a child’s age category; providers that advertise parental controls must ensure those controls are easy to find and actually function (e.g., web-filtering, daily/use-time limits).
  • Age ratings and content descriptors: Where age ratings are displayed, both the rating and a clear content description must be prominently and accurately shown.
  • Developer access to signals: App stores must provide developers (via real-time API) the age category of users located in the state and whether verifiable parental consent has been obtained, consistent with existing data practices.
  • Additional governance: The draft references guidance from the Department of Consumer Affairs, an advisory committee, rules for conflicting signals, enforcement mechanisms, and remedies — portions of those sections are truncated in the supplied text.

Who is affected

  • App store providers that distribute apps to users in the state (including platform owners that operate mobile operating systems).
  • App developers whose apps are available through those stores (developers must receive and may act on age/consent signals).
  • Parents and minors in the state (parents gain additional controls; children face age verification and parental consent requirements).
  • State consumer protection authorities (charged with guidance and enforcement).

Enforcement, remedies & administration

  • The bill assigns the Department of Consumer Affairs an administrative role (guidance, oversight). The supplied text indicates enforcement and remedies are included but those sections are truncated — likely civil penalties, private remedies, or administrative enforcement are provided but must be confirmed in full bill text.

Procedural status & timeline (as supplied)

  • Prefiled: 12/05/2024 (text included dated 12/05/2024).
  • Introduced / First read: 01/14/2025.
  • Referred to Committee on Judiciary; later referred to State Administration and Regulatory Oversight (02/27/2025).
  • Senate concurred: 02/27/2025 (per provided actions).
  • Hearing scheduled: 07/22/2025 (10:00 AM–1:00 PM, A-1).
  • Sponsor additions noted (e.g., Martin added 04/23/2025).

Notes / Caveats

  • The provided document is incomplete — several sections (including parts of §37-31-20 and enforcement language) are truncated. Review the full, current bill text for precise duties, exemptions, penalties, and technical requirements (e.g., acceptable “commercially available” age-verification methods, privacy safeguards, and API specifications).
  • The inclusion of an unrelated Massachusetts bill on permanent standard time in the same packet suggests source confusion; verify the official legislative bill file to ensure you are examining the intended jurisdiction and version.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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