Meta and other social media companies support putting the onus on app stores to verify ages amid criticism that they don’t do enough to make their products safe for children — or verify that no kids under 13 use them.

Utah has become the first state to pass legislation requiring parental consent and age verification measures for application stores, such as Google and Apple.

The bill comes amid an ongoing divide between app stores and social media platforms over who should be responsible for age verification.

The bill has pitted Meta against app store giants Apple and Google over who should be responsible for verifying ages.

It’s so important that parents understand which apps their kids are downloading.' Advocates call for parental oversight in app stores.

Utah’s legislature has passed a new bill that would require app stores to verify the age and identity of all users, including adults. The bill now awaits signature by Governor Spencer Cox, who signed a similar bill last year that was blocked by a federal judge over First Amendment concerns.