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Bill

SB 372

Enacting the app store accountability act to regulate app store and developer operations with respect to minors, create requirements for age verification and parental consent and provide for enforcement under the Kansas consumer protection act and through a private cause of action.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas legislation requiring app stores to verify user age and obtain parental consent for minors' app access, enforceable through consumer protection laws and private lawsuits.

Died on House Calendar
#attorneygeneral #childrenandminors #consumerprotection #namedacts
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Bill Summary · SB 372

Legislative bill overview

SB 372 would impose regulatory requirements on app stores regarding apps accessible to minors, mandating age verification systems and parental consent mechanisms. The bill creates enforcement pathways through Kansas consumer protection laws and allows private lawsuits against non-compliant app stores and developers.

Why is this important

App stores currently operate with minimal age-gating for most applications, despite concerns from child safety advocates about exposure to inappropriate content, excessive data collection, and addictive design features targeting youth. This legislation reflects growing national momentum to hold digital platforms accountable for minor user protection, similar to recent federal proposals and state laws in other jurisdictions.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation burden and cost: App stores and developers may argue that robust age verification systems are technically complex, expensive to implement, and could exclude legitimate young users from beneficial apps
  • Privacy and data collection concerns: Age verification mechanisms themselves require collecting sensitive information from minors, raising questions about who stores this data and how it's protected
  • Definitional ambiguity: The bill's scope regarding which apps require parental consent and what constitutes "minors" (under 13? under 18?) will significantly impact applicability and compliance feasibility
  • Private right of action concerns: Allowing private lawsuits could generate massive litigation regardless of actual harm, potentially making app stores overly cautious or pulling products from the Kansas market

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

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