Age verification in app stores: Can it stop kids from social media?
Big Tech’s Proposal for Social Media Restrictions on Children
As Europe grapples with the question of whether to limit children’s access to social media, a proposal from Big Tech has emerged: placing responsibility on app stores. This approach suggests that parents should have the option to approve or reject their children’s requests to download social media apps, with age verification as part of the process. According to this idea, app-store verification could provide more consistent age signals from devices, helping to keep underage users away from inappropriate content.
However, experts argue that this method alone may not be sufficient in creating a safer online environment for children. Simeon Debrouwer, a policy advisor at European Digital Rights, highlights that while parental control features might give the illusion of control, they fail to address deeper issues such as addictive design elements within these platforms.
The Limitations of App-Store Control
Despite the presence of numerous app stores, two dominate the global market: Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. Both already offer parental control tools designed to help manage children’s digital experiences. For instance, Apple’s “Ask to Buy” feature notifies parents when a child attempts to download or purchase an app, allowing them to approve or decline the request. Parents can also create child accounts with age ranges, enabling built-in protections or setting age-based content restrictions.
Google’s Family Link allows parents to set screen-time limits, filter content on YouTube, and monitor their child’s location through their phone. However, according to Serge Egelman, research director at the University of California, Berkeley, these controls largely end at the download button. Once an app is approved, there are limited ways to control what happens within the app itself. Additionally, parents may not know how to use these tools effectively, potentially leading to accidental approvals of inappropriate apps.
Ekaterina Hertog, associate AI professor at the Oxford Internet Institute, points out that app store restrictions place pressure on parents who often rely on their children for technology assistance. These restrictions must work for families in various situations, including those where parents may be less available or confident online.
Bypassing Controls: The Devil is in the Details
Children may find ways to bypass these controls, such as approving a download request directly from a parent’s phone without permission or resetting the phone to factory settings. This action can allow them to set up the device without parental controls. Tech-savvy children could even go further by installing a different operating system (OS) after the reset, which does not rely on Apple or Google software. This could grant them easier access to alternative app stores like F-Droid, which hosts free and open-source apps.
Age restrictions in app stores also do not address whether children can access social media sites from desktop computers. Hertog emphasizes that the effectiveness of these restrictions depends heavily on the details of implementation. For example, if age verification involves images or facial scans, children could produce fake images to bypass the restrictions.
Could Europe Implement This?
Several U.S. states, including Utah, Louisiana, California, and Texas, have passed or are considering “app store accountability” laws that would mandate age checks for users under 18. However, the Texas law was blocked by a federal judge over free speech concerns. A federal App Store Accountability Act, which could force app store providers to verify users’ ages when opening their accounts, is being examined by a U.S. Senate committee.
In the European Union, however, regulators lack the legal basis to directly regulate app stores. Before the end of 2026, the EU’s Digital Fairness Act (DFA) will come into force, aiming to enhance consumer protection online by tackling harmful design features on digital platforms. Debrouwer suggests that regulators could enforce the incoming DFA and existing legislation, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), to mitigate risks without resorting to outright bans or restrictions on children’s social media use.
There is also a need for governments to rethink what success looks like, shifting away from the number of children restricted from these platforms and instead focusing on improving the platforms for everyone. As Debrouwer notes, banning children from these places instead of making them safe for children and everyone else essentially lets the platforms off the hook for the harm they cause.
