The Alabama Senate passed a bill Thursday to mandate that app stores require age verification and parental consent for minors to download apps.
HB161, or the App Store Accountability Act, sponsored by Representative Chris Sells, R-Greensboro, and Representative Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, would require mobile device app stores to verify the age of users when they create accounts. When an account is established for a minor, the law would require it to be linked to a parental account that must consent when the child requests to download applications or make an in-app purchase.
The bill would also require that “accurate app age ratings” be provided by application developers and establish fines under the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act of up to $7,500 for app developers who violate the bill’s statutes.
The Senate voted 32-3 to pass the bill, following comments from its senatorial supporters.
Senator Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill spoke before the Senate regarding the legislation.
“The parents are the ones that should be making these decisions, should be entering into contracts, when they allow a phone to be initialized for their child,” Chambliss said.
“Some people ask me, ‘Why? Why are we dealing with this? Why are we talking about this?’ It’s unfortunate, but we have had numerous situations in our state and others that—where children have come across content that their mind was not ready to receive,” he added.
During a public hearing held for the HB161 by the Senate Children and Youth Health Committee last week, representatives of conservative groups, the Eagle Forum and the Alabama Policy Institute, alongside Facebook’s parent company, Meta and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation spoke in favor of the legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, expressed appreciation to Chambliss for bringing the legislation over the past two years and agreeing to conversations on the specifications and language of the bill, alongside Senator Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham, and Senator Rodger D. Smitherman, D-Birmingham.
“I think we have a product that we can put out there, start protecting our families and children, and if we have to come back next year to be able to tighten it up, we can do that,” Singleton said.
“I think this gives us a product to get out there and work with it to protect our babies. Cause I have young daughters, and I know that sometimes when I’m looking through these reels, I get very confused at the kind of product that’s out there on these platforms,” the Senate minority leader continued.
Senator Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, and Senator April Weaver, R-Brierfield, also voiced support for the legislation.
“Just looking at some of the things I see on social media, I’m horrified that our children are exposed to such things as this at such a young age,” Weaver said. “So, I applaud Senator Chambliss for bringing this today and certainly support his efforts in protecting our children.”
Senators adopted an amendment to clarify the language of the bill and to provide that the bill may not be construed to override or affect other technology age-verification laws previously passed by the Alabama legislature.
If the amendment is agreed to by the House, HB161 will advance to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk. The legislation will take effect on January 1, 2027, if signed by Ivey.
