According to TechRadar, a US House Energy and Commerce subcommittee is holding a hearing today on a total of 19 separate bills focused on child safety online. The most notable is the App Store Accountability Act (ASA), introduced in May by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. John James (R-MI), which would make Apple and Google responsible for verifying a user’s age in a “privacy-preserving way” before they can download apps. This follows state-level laws in Missouri, Utah, Texas, and California, with Texas’s own version facing two lawsuits ahead of its expected January 2026 start. Tech giants are split, with Meta, X, and now Pinterest endorsing the ASA, while Apple and Google warn it creates new privacy risks. Another revived bill, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), is also on the docket, alongside the SCREEN Act targeting adult websites.
The App Store Shuffle
Here’s the thing: the ASA is a clever, or maybe cynical, bit of legislative jujitsu. Instead of going after a thousand different app developers, it goes straight to the two gatekeepers: Apple and Google. The logic is simple—control the store, control the access. But the implementation is a nightmare. What does “privacy-preserving” age verification even look like at that scale? Apple might point to its existing device-level age settings, but lawmakers seem to want something more robust. And Google’s right to be worried. Forcing the stores to be the age cops means they have to collect, or at least process, sensitive data on a massive scale. One breach and you’ve got a disaster. It’s no wonder they’re pushing back, arguing, as Google did in a blog post, that these rules create new risks without solving the core problem.
The KOSA Conundrum
But the ASA isn’t even the scariest proposal to some experts. That title might go to the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). This bill has been kicking around for a while and made a comeback in May. It sounds noble—requiring platforms to “shield” minors from harm. The devil, as always, is in who gets to define “harm.” The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has been brutally clear: this is a censorship bill waiting to happen. It would incentivize platforms to massively over-filter content, not just for kids but for everyone, to avoid liability. Think about it. Would a platform risk hosting a discussion on gender dysphoria or political protest if a future administration could deem it “harmful” to minors? Probably not. It’s a blunt instrument that could silence huge swaths of legitimate speech.
A Federal Mess to Fix a State Mess?
So why is Congress suddenly piling on with 19 bills? Basically, the states have forced their hand. We’ve got a patchwork of laws—Missouri just enacted one, Texas has one coming—and that’s a compliance headache for any company operating nationally. A single federal rule *should* be cleaner. But will it be better? The subcommittee hearing today is the first step in figuring that out. The core tension never changes: safety vs. privacy, protection vs. free speech. Lawmakers want to look like they’re “doing something” for kids, but the technical and ethical trade-offs are immense. And as Pinterest’s endorsement of the ASA shows, some tech companies are happy to let their bigger rivals bear the burden and cost.
The VPN Problem and What’s Next
Let’s talk about a very practical consequence. If the ASA passes, say goodbye to easily using a VPN to protect your data or access geo-blocked content. Why? Because if the App Store is mandated to *know* you’re in the US and *know* your age, it will have to block standard workarounds. The store itself could become a tool for enforcement. That’s a huge shift. Now, will any of this actually pass? KOSA has powerful backers but fierce opposition. The ASA might get more traction because it targets unpopular giants. But with Texas’s similar law already in court, the legal challenges are guaranteed. I think we’re in for a long, messy fight where the only certainty is that your phone‘s app store is about to become a political battleground.
