SALT LAKE CITY – Children and smartphones took center stage at the Utah Capitol Tuesday as a Senate committee voted unanimously to require app stores to verify the ages of users.
Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, sponsor of SB142, told the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee that when children download apps, they enter into contracts with those companies that are legal and binding.
“Those terms and conditions can give that company access to their camera, to their microphone,” Weiler said. “They can be consenting that their data can be collected and shared.”
Sen. Todd Weiler, sponsor of SB142, said when children download apps, they enter into legally binding contracts with those companies. Pictured Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Greg Anderson, KSL TV)
Weiler’s bill would require app store providers to verify user ages, obtain parent consent for children’s accounts, and let parents know of any significant changes, among other things.
Many people spoke for and against the bill during a lengthy hearing Tuesday afternoon. In the end, the Senate committee voted 7-0 to approve it, advancing the bill to the full Senate for a vote.
The Utah Senate committee voted 7-0 to approve SB142 on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Greg Anderson, KSL TV)
This follows other laws Utah has passed in the last few years regarding children and social media, which have resulted in lawsuits. An online child safety expert told lawmakers Tuesday that bills similar to SB142 are also being introduced in other states.
