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Apple CEO Tim Cook lobbies U.S. Congress against App Store Accountability Act

MacDailyNews

Dec 10

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Apple CEO Tim Cook meets with President Trump at the White House on Thursday, February 20, 2025 (image via Fox Business)

As lawmakers in Washington push forward with sweeping reforms to shield young users from online harms via the App Store Accountability Act, Apple CEO Tim Cook stepped into the fray this week, urging Congress to tread carefully on mandates that could upend the App Store’s foundational protections for all users. With a pivotal House committee vote looming, Cook’s closed-door plea highlights the high-stakes tension between safeguarding kids and preserving the anonymity that billions rely on daily.

Emily Birnbaum and Erik Wasson for Bloomberg News:
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Apple has raised concerns about the App Store Accountability Act, which would require app stores to verify the ages of users in order to determine whether minors are using potentially harmful apps. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to consider the bill on Thursday morning.
During a closed-door meeting with members of the committee, Cook urged lawmakers not to require app store operators to check documentation of users’ ages and instead rely on parents to provide the age of their child when creating a child’s account, according to a statement from Apple. The company described Cook’s argument as one founded on privacy concerns.
Republican Representative Gus Bilirakis of Florida, who chairs the panel’s technology subcommittee, said he met with Cook and doesn’t expect major changes to the bill.
“It would be good if they would work with us, but we are going full speed ahead,” said Bilirakis, who added the measure has support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. “We will make some tweaks, obviously.”
Apple’s global head of privacy, Hilary Ware, last week sent a letter to the panel expressing concerns that the legislation could threaten the privacy of all Apple app store users. Another bill the committee is set to consider Thursday more closely aligns with Apple’s vision for children’s online safety legislation.

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MacDailyNews Note: Apple introduced a privacy-focused age assurance feature in iOS 26 that lets parents securely share only their child’s broad age range (for example, “under 13” or “13–17”) with apps, without revealing the child’s exact birthdate or other personal details.

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