Sponsors (3)
The bill aims to protect children and give parents and developers reliable age information via OS-verified DOB collection and federal enforcement, but it creates new sensitive data stores, compliance costs, usability friction, and legal risks that may fall hardest on consumers and smaller tech providers.
Children and teens: OS-verified parental/age checks reduce minors' exposure to age-restricted apps and content by ensuring apps can get reliable age information.
Parents and families: stronger parental-control mechanisms and verified age data let parents more effectively manage kids' device and app use.
Consumers (especially families): standardized data-protection rules for collected dates of birth can limit misuse of sensitive age data and reduce identity risk if the rules are enforced.
All users (especially children and families): mandatory collection and centralized storage/sharing of dates of birth creates new sensitive data stores and raises substantial breach and re-identification risks.
Operating system providers and ultimately consumers: building, securing, and administering verification systems will impose compliance costs that could be passed on to users or shrink resources for smaller vendors.
Small or alternative OS vendors and app developers: aggressive FTC oversight, civil penalties, and uncertainty about compliance create legal and operational risk that could disproportionately hurt smaller market entrants.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires OS providers to collect dates of birth, verify parental consent for under-18 users, provide developers access to age data, and directs the FTC to write protective rules.
Official title: To require operating system providers to verify the age of any user of an operating system, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 13, 2026 by Josh S. Gottheimer · Last progress April 13, 2026
Requires operating system providers to collect users' dates of birth and verify parental or guardian consent for users under age 18, and to provide a way for app developers to access the age-verification information they need. The Federal Trade Commission must write rules within 180 days about verification, handling shared devices, data protection, developer access, and parental controls; the law and its rules take effect one year after enactment and the FTC must report on compliance within 18 months.