Apple CEO Tim Cook asks governor to veto or amend bill to require age verification for iPhones and other devices
Apple has stepped up its efforts to fight a Texas bill that would require age verification for iPhone users, with Apple CEO Tim Cook calling Texas Governor Greg Abbott and urging him to amend or veto the bill.
Exclusive | Apple CEO Tim Cook Governor Called Texas to Stop Online Child-Safety Legislation - WSJ
Tim Cook calls Texas governor over App Store age verification bill - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/23/tim-cook-calls-texas-governor-over-age-verification-bill/
Why is Apple trying to jam up a bill in Texas that protects children online? - PhoneArena
https://www.phonearena.com/news/apple-and-cook-try-to-stop-texas-from-passing-a-bill-protecting-children_id170717
Apple CEO reportedly accused Texas' governor to ditch online child safety bill | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/23/apple-ceo-reportedly-urged-texas-governor-to-ditch-online-child-safety-bill/
Apple opposes Texas app store age verification bill | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/internet-censorship/673771/apple-texas-age-verification-law-objection-tim-cook
Texas is trying to pass a so-called 'app store liability law' to protect young people who use smartphones. Similar bills have been proposed in at least nine states, and one has already passed in Utah, but the Texas bill is expected to be the largest of its kind. Government agencies are not the only ones pushing for app store liability legislation. Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, has lobbied alongside social media companies Snap and X, arguing that app stores, not individual apps, should be responsible for 'age-restricting' mobile users.
On the other hand, Apple and Google, which operate app stores, argue that it is wrong to require app stores to verify ages. Google criticized Meta and other companies for pushing various bills to shift the responsibility for protecting children's safety onto app stores, and warned that various risks would arise if app stores were to require age verification.
Google criticizes bill requiring app stores to verify age, saying it's 'a unilateral imposition of child safety protection on app stores by Meta and other companies,' and claims that apps can handle child safety better than app stores - GIGAZINE
Texas is also considering a bill that would require app stores to verify users' ages. Although the bill was passed by a majority in the Texas Legislature, Governor Abbott has not yet said whether he will sign it.
Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed that he called Governor Abbott in the third week of May 2025 to ask him to amend or veto the bill. According to sources, the conversation between Cook and Governor Abbott was friendly, revealing how interested Apple is in blocking the bill.
It has also become clear that Apple employed many lobbyists to pressure lawmakers in the weeks leading up to the bill's passage. An Apple-funded interest group targeted the Austin, Texas area with ads accusing the bill of being 'backed by porn sites.' Google also funded the interest group to oppose the bill. According to the Texas Ethics Commission, Apple employs six lobbyists in Texas, Google employs seven, while Meta employs 13.
The Texas bill is gaining attention because its passage in the second-most populous state with a Republican-led legislature could lead to similar legislation being introduced across the U.S. If introduced, it could impose new costs on some app makers, not just Apple and Google.
Supporters of the App Store Accountability Act argue that the bill is designed to give parents greater control over their children's smartphone use, even though children are not legally permitted to agree to app terms of use in the first place.
Opponents of the App Store Liability Act say it would impose costs on many apps whose content is not controversial, and echo Google's criticism that the Act would push apps like Meta's online safety onto others.
An Apple spokesperson said that while the company wants to strengthen online safety for children, the Texas bill threatens user privacy: 'If passed, this bill would require app marketplaces to collect and store personally identifiable information about every Texan who wants to download an app, even if the app simply provides weather forecasts or sports scores,' the spokesperson said.
On the other hand, Meta noted that age verification at the app store level would be easier and more privacy-friendly to verify a child's age in one place rather than in every app they access.
A spokesperson for Governor Abbott would only say, 'The safety and online privacy of Texas children remains a top priority for Governor Abbott. The Governor will carefully review this bill, as he does every bill introduced.'
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