In recent years, American parents have watched with growing alarm as powerful cultural forces attempt to sideline them in the upbringing of their own children. Whether in classrooms, libraries, or online platforms, the message has too often been the same: the “experts” know better than mothers and fathers.
But as we have said before – and will continue to proclaim – parents, not the state and not corporations, hold the sacred duty to shape their children’s moral and spiritual upbringing.
That principle is at the heart of the App Store Accountability Act.
Sponsored by Rep. John James (R-MI) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), this legislation is a resounding affirmation of parental authority in one of the most influential arenas of modern life: the digital marketplace. At a time when smartphones function as portals to the online world, app stores have become the gatekeepers of what our children see, hear, and absorb. Yet they operate with far fewer safeguards than anywhere in the physical world.
Kids cannot consent or enter contracts without parental approval. Physical retailers face consequences if they fail to comply. But in the digital world, the Apple and Google app stores allow minors to contract directly with multi-billion-dollar tech companies without any parental involvement or knowledge whatsoever.
The App Store Accountability Act would put a stop to this imbalance by placing responsibility back where it belongs: in the hands of parents. The bill would require app stores to verify users’ ages, secure parental consent for minors before they can download apps, provide clear and accurate age ratings, and give parents real control over what their children can access.
Across the nation, we’re seeing a real and growing threat facing our children online. Concerned Women for America has warned about what happens when a “friend-making” or social media app becomes a predator hunting ground, or when apps marketed to minors function like dating platforms where adults can easily approach children. The dangers at our children's fingertips are not hypothetical. They are documented harms happening right now, and parental oversight is the only responsible path forward.
While the App Store Accountability Act will not solve every online danger, it will end the era of Big Tech policing itself and is a good start for additional legislation to build on. It is time to tell Apple, Google, and every platform profiting from children’s online lives: If you profit from kids, you bear some responsibility for protecting them.
We have seen what happens when institutions attempt to impose radical ideologies on children while sidelining parents. We have fought those battles in education, defending religious liberty and the God-ordained role of mothers and fathers. The Supreme Court has affirmed that parents, not the state, hold the sacred duty to shape their children’s moral and spiritual upbringing. That principle does not stop at the schoolhouse door. It extends to the digital world just as it applies in schools, churches, and neighborhoods.
Parents across the nation overwhelmingly support the App Store Accountability Act and requiring app stores to facilitate parental consent and age verification. Four states have already signed the App Store Accountability Act into law with bipartisan support, including unanimous votes in several states.
These are not extreme proposals – even Apple has proven that these measures would be easy to implement without requiring users to upload sensitive personal information like a federal ID. Apple’s own age verification admits this, saying: “A valid credit card can help confirm you’re at least 18 because you must be an adult to open a credit card account.”
The technology exists. Parental support exists. Apple and Google just don’t want to be regulated, even if it means leaving parents powerless. What we need now is political will to restore parental authority for parents across the country who want to stop the flow of harmful content to America’s youth.
The App Store Accountability Act is not about censorship. It is not about expanding government control. It is a reaffirmation of parental rights, child safety, and common sense, while holding Big Tech accountable. It empowers families, restores accountability, and ensures that when it comes to protecting children, no one is above the law.
Penny Nance is CEO & President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC).
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