Representative Gus Bilirakis's (R-FL) App Store Accountability Act is gaining support among Democrats and Republicans in the House, improving its chances of passing.
The bill, which Rep. Bilirakis introduced in May, requires companies such as Amazon, Google, Apple, and other app distributors to prevent adult-oriented apps from reaching minors by requiring age verification for access to app store identification and parental consent for users under 18 on app stores. This is enforced by linking minors' devices to those of their parents.
Rep. Bilirakis called his legislation "a commonsense measure that ensures parents have the ability to stay informed and engaged in their children's digital lives, helping to prevent exposure to harmful apps and privacy risks."
Lawmakers have shared the same sentiment in comments to The Floridian.
Critically speaking of the entire internet universe, Representative Randy Fine (R-FL) stated, "The internet, technology, and social media has real dangers for kids, and that's why I supported what we did in the Florida legislature to crack down on that, and I support that here."
Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) commented earlier this year, "I'm all for parents' rights. They're your kids. You should get to make those decisions. But at the same time, I think the evidence and data is clear, and parents, the thing they fight with their kids most now is screen time."
"I think parents can use a little help," Rep. Moskowitz continued. "You're seeing countries starting to take action for kids under 16, and if you're looking for Congress to step in, that's not gonna happen. We could've done something on Section 230 a long time ago, and we don't have the will, so it's gonna have to happen at the state level. But I think there probably should be certain restrictions and more age limitations on kids 16 and younger."
Representative Troy Nehls (R-TX) offered another blunt response.
"Yes, I think parents should have the right to know. Phones can be very dangerous. They can."
"I'm a parent to my kids, and I'm certainly cautious of what they look at and consume on their tablets, on their iPhones. If a parent wants to parent, we should be given the autonomy to do that," Representative Wesley Hunt (R-TX) said.
