A Texas federal judge today blocked an App Store age verification law that was set to go into effect on January 1, 2026, which means Apple may not have to support the changes after all. The Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB2420) requires Apple and other app marketplaces to confirm user age when a person creates an Apple Account. Apple Accounts for users under 18 would need to join a Family Sharing group, with new controls available for parents and restrictions for minors.
Parental controls have existed for years on home routers. Anything more is the equivalent of a stanger coming into my home and telling me how to raise my kids.
Requiring to provide ID to third party corporations is not the ideal solution, especially when that information can be leaked and stolen, and let’s face it corporations leak and get hacked almost weekly. Would you support your childs and your information being leaked and posted online?
Now if “protected the children” were the actual real reason for “age verification” then this could be achieved with government campaigns for proper parental controls and programs for education supporting IT literacy. Goverment curation of websites approved for certain age brackets (a whitelist) could also be implemented and made available simply and efficiently within routes.
The same can then be implemented at the “device side” with a DNS and schools can apply the same to any school networks. Hell manufacturers could provide a “kids mode” for devices that locks the DNS.
Nowhere should the solution be a “ID check” for everyone of every age bracket having their face scanned and tracked everywhere they go.
Imagine for a moment living in a world where you would need to provide identification at every corner, street, or store you walk into.
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In other words, you’re okay with a new age of darkness because at least 13 year olds have access to gacha games.
I would prefer for parents and myself included to be able to pick and choose what’s best for their own children. (Using current technology, such as local parental controls on home routers)
I do not support “digital IDs” and by extension governments with corporations collecting and or processing this data in anyway, or tracking me or my children in anyway.
What I would support is local governments creating a system/group to “curate the internet” similar to how librarians curate books. Classify websites into listed based on certain criteria, and then provide this list for parents to whitelists on a home router. No need to check IDs or scan faces and the end goal of “protecting the children” would be achieved.
Sure, then why regulate cigarettes and drugs? Just let braindead parents regulate their children’s access. No more invasive ID laws.
Cigarettes harm third parties via second hand smoke. Gacha games don’t brain rot the person sitting next to you.