Tim Cook Opposes App Store Age Verification Bill
Rindala Alajaji (Hacker News):
I’m old enough to remember when age verification bills were pitched as a way to ‘save the kids from porn’ and shield them from other vague dangers lurking in the digital world (like…“the transgender”). We have long cautioned about the dangers of these laws, and pointed out why they are likely to fail. While they may be well-intentioned, the growing proliferation of age verification schemes poses serious risks to all of our digital freedoms.
Fast forward a few years, and these laws have morphed into something else entirely—unfortunately, something we expected. What started as a misguided attempt to protect minors from “explicit” content online has spiraled into a tangled mess of privacy-invasive surveillance schemes affecting skincare products, dating apps, and even diet pills, threatening everyone’s right to privacy.
Tim Cook is personally involved in an attempt to stop a Texas child safety bill targeting the App Store from becoming law, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Per the report, Tim Cook personally called Texas Governor Greg Abbott last week asking him to either amend or veto the bill that, if it becomes law, will require Apple and Google to collect age data for every user who wants to download an app.
I don’t really understand what’s going on here. iOS already added APIs for this, which seem like a good solution and much more private than handling this at the app level. Is the issue that the APIs somehow don’t satisfy Texas’s requirements? Or does Cook want to avoid any regulation at the marketplace level on principle?
WSJ:
In the weeks leading up to its passage, Apple hired more lobbyists to pressure lawmakers. An interest group it funds targeted the Austin, Texas, area with ads saying the legislation is “backed by porn websites.”
But the App Store doesn’t allow porn, anyway, except via apps that are third-party Web browsers. Obviously, Apple’s not going to bat for them.
Previously:
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Personally, I hope it passes and I hope there is something passed nationally. I don't particularly want tech companies archiving my ID forever, but that shouldn't be necessary to implement this kind of thing. There are many many things that you have to show ID for, including purchasing adult "entertainment" in some states, online porn should be treated no differently. Heck, you can't even go see non-child friendly movies without appropriate ID or an adult with you.
Exposure to porn as a child is harmful and the government is actually doing its job when it fights against it.
Do I think any of these laws are going to completely solve the problem? No. But that doesn't mean we just wave our hands in the air and give up either. Perfect being the enemy of good and all that.
How is Apple supposed to verify age? What if a kid gets their own device, gets Apple Gift Cards? Why should that kid be connected to a family that they might be estranged from?
It's a privacy and personal autonomy invasion, which Texas loves.
The issue/threat is probably legal and financial liability. Meta and everyone else wants to make Apple responsible so that they aren't. Externalizing risks, expense, penalties, and especially responsibility is what companies like to do.
Next question, though: What does this enable? Can only buy an app if you're a legal US resident? Can certain classes of apps be blocked due to age, gender, name, affiliation, etc.? Perhaps games can only be played for 1 hr a day on weekdays, 4 hours/day on weekends.
"Externalizing risks, expense, penalties, and especially responsibility is what companies like to do."
That's what Apple is trying to do as well. Device manufacturers and web site operators are both pointing the finger at each other because they all want this to be someone else's problem.
I mean, not yours specifically......
To be clear, I don’t think this should exclusively be on device makers, every website owner should be held criminally liable if they allow minors to view porn. Huge swaths of music, YouTube videos, music videos, clothing stores, etc should be blocked for children as well for soft core porn and other age inappropriate topics.
@Michael, can you name this API that already has been added? Details matter: https://pxlnv.com/linklog/ios-age-range-api/ This post say "later this year". You know just like various things promised at WWDC '24 that didn't make the cut. I know, it's your blog (and opinion) that these APIs are already out - but without details it's hard to say you aren't contributing to false facts. If it matters, I actually think - other than that flat out statement - I agree with your thoughts on this.
Let's go in the way back machine to, say, the 1970s I was a teenager then and the World Wide Web, if it existed was called ARPAnet or something like that. Broadband? High speed WiFi? Nope. Email? WTF is that? And iPhones (hardware) or apps (software) are about 40-50 years in the future. But porn....
Available in many drug stores, maybe behind a counter or better yet just covered, for purchase as hard copies. Just like beer. All you needed was proof of age, or a forgiving cashier (that was rare) who didn't ask for it. OR... simply have your older of age friend purchase it.
You really cannot stop EVERY SINGLE underage person from getting something that they are too young for. Maybe you can parentally monitor them.... but back in the 70s you - as a parent - still have to have a life where you cannot raise them 24/7 in this regard. Laws be damned! (Oops, there's a 4 letter word. Sarcasm intended.)
Continuing with the sarcasm, our current president is now speaking about a 25% tariff on iPhones not built/sold in the US (which includes Texas). While I'm certainly NOT for it, if it means a $3000 iPhone (some think it will) maybe that's a better way to dictate if the user is underage. Hey, at least many responsible parents won't pay for that new iPhone.... and if this underage one does, more power to them as they probably have to work for it!
Follow up on my claim about APIs and later this year:
Money quote:
Several of the changes for child accounts are available in the public beta of iOS 18.4, out now. The ability to make updates to the age of a child account after it’s already created, as well as the Declared Age Range API, Age Ratings and App Store updates will be available later this year, Apple says.
@Dave Yes, you’re right that so far the API is announced but not shipping. My point is just that it seems to not have factored into this lobbying and I’m wondering why. Like, is Cook’s goal that they get rid of the regulation and don’t ship the API at all? Or that the regulation fit better with the API? Or the API is an additional layer on top of what happens at the time of purchase and they’re going to do it either way?
Does the API exist but just isn’t in a beta yet? Or is it vaporware for PR purposes?
> You really cannot stop EVERY SINGLE underage person from getting something that they are too young for.
@Dave: very true. I’m not saying it can be made impossible, but I am saying that it should be drastically harder than it is now and that companies not taking reasonable precautions should be held liable. Check boxes saying “yes I’m 18” don’t count.
@Michael Tsai,
I’m not Tim Cook but if I were, I’d argue for giving industry the chance to regulate itself first.
So, veto now and if need be, pass a law later. Republicans used to love that, but I think Christians have regulatory-captured Texas, so that may not work. .
I also haven’t read the law — would love to see a summary — so wondering what the enforcement mechanism is and penalties.
Isn’t the real issue for greedy Apple that this would add friction to the purchase flow on the App Store and so reduce the easy money they make?
