House Republicans Advance Bills Letting Parents Control Teens' App and Messaging Access
Mar 10th 2026
Two committee-approved Republican bills would force app stores and platforms to verify ages and require parental approval for app installs and direct messaging, prompting lawsuits and concerns that the rules could block vulnerable teens from nonprofit support services and lawful speech.
- The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the App Store Accountability Act and the KIDS Act on party-line votes to expand parental control over teens' app installs and messaging.
- ASAA would require app stores to age-categorize users, affiliate minor accounts with a parental account, and obtain parental consent for app installation.
- The KIDS Act would require parental consent before platforms can enable any direct messaging feature for teen users.
- Critics warn the bills could endanger teens in unsupportive or abusive homes by giving parents broad access to and control over their online activity.
- Both bills lack a commerce limitation, so they would apply to nonprofit support sites used by LGBTQ and at-risk teens as well as for-profit apps.
- Legal experts predict First Amendment challenges because Supreme Court precedent protects minors in many speech contexts and age verification can burden lawful speech.
- Advocates suggest narrower alternatives such as cross-platform parental controls and targeted rules against adult sexual exploitation instead of broad age verification mandates.