Perspective: App stores are exploiting our children. We must change that

Imagine a bank where children as young as 13 are allowed to sign contracts for car loans, high-limit credit cards, or even connect with risky foreign investors. This same bank hides the fine print, misleads young customers and profits by exploiting their personal data — including selling it to international adversaries. If parents step in, the bank assures them there’s nothing to worry about, even when that’s far from the truth. When problems inevitably arise, the bank blames parents for not doing enough.

This scenario sounds outrageous because we all know children lack the capacity to make such binding decisions. Yet, in the digital world, something like this happens millions of times every day. App stores, the digital gatekeepers of our children’s lives, routinely treat kids like adults, steering them into accepting exploitative terms of service with billion-dollar corporations. These agreements have the potential to give apps sweeping access to personal data — photos, contact lists, exact locations, even microphones and cameras — all without meaningful consent or oversight.

The problem doesn’t end there. App stores also currently face little accountability for their misleading age ratings. A recent Wall Street Journal investigation exposed how Apple’s faulty app ratings deceive parents by failing to reflect the risks and content within apps. Apps featuring violent, sexual or exploitative material are routinely labeled as suitable for ages 4+ or 12+. A detailed Canadian Center for Child Protection report eviscerated both Apple and Google for their flawed app age rating systems and inadequate child safety practices. Parental controls rely on accurate age ratings to function effectively; without them, the promise of safeguarding children becomes an illusion.

Roblox, a popular gaming platform, for instance, is rated as safe for ages 12+ in the Apple App Store, with its primary risk listed as “cartoon violence.” The platform has faced severe criticism for failing to protect young users, however, with thousands of reports of child exploitation. A Hindenburg Research investigation labeled Roblox an “X-rated pedophile hellscape,” exposing widespread safety flaws. Millions of families trust app store ratings, unaware of these dangers. In one tragic case, a Utah boy was allegedly groomed on Roblox, kidnapped by a predator, and taken across state lines.

As if this weren’t bad enough, app stores bury critical details, such as content descriptors, app privacy policies and security practices. Parents must scroll past extensive app advertisements or click a separate link to see them. These details aren’t readily visible on the initial screen where parents are asked to approve or decline an app for their child, depriving them of the ability to make informed decisions for their children.

Yet, Apple continues to tout its app store as “a trusted place where users can safely discover and download apps.” During the Epic Games vs. Apple trial, Apple attorneys argued that its app store’s safety measures were as robust as a “six-point racing harness.” These claims starkly contradict growing evidence that Apple and other app stores routinely mislead parents and exploit children. Parents and policymakers must demand accountability from these digital gatekeepers to ensure that the protections we afford children in the physical world extend to the digital one.

The App Store Accountability Act offers a critical and timely solution to protect children in Utah. By restoring parental oversight, increasing transparency and enforcing accountability, it directly addresses the systemic failures of today’s app store practices. The act requires app stores to verify parental consent before minors can download apps, agree to terms of service or make purchases — ensuring that parents, not tech platforms, have the final say in their children’s digital lives.

The act empowers parents with a private right of action, enabling them to hold app stores accountable when app ratings or descriptions misrepresent content. This provision creates a powerful incentive for companies to provide accurate ratings and disclose all risks clearly and accurately.

Additionally, the act requires app stores to securely verify ages and share them with apps as anonymous age categories. This method safeguards user privacy while enabling developers to comply with federal laws and engage appropriate safety defaults so that children enjoy the secure digital experience advertised in the app store.

The App Store Accountability Act brings us closer to a future where digital gatekeepers are held to the same standards as any responsible brick-and-mortar institution. Utah can lead the way by standing up for its children and parents and sending a clear message to Big Tech: No more exploitation. No more excuses. It’s time to put kids first.