WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Parents Over Platforms Act (POPA), sponsored by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), offers a pragmatic, security-first approach by imposing the requirement to receive age information only on apps that provide differentiated experiences for children and adults, like social media apps or adults only apps. This ensures that sensitive data is handled by the entities best equipped to secure it, while providing parents with streamlined, consistent controls across all apps, all without placing a huge new unfunded mandate on American small businesses that pose no risk to our kids. (The bipartisan House version of the bill is sponsored by Reps. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4) and Erin Houchin (R-IN-9))
“We urge Congress to listen to the small business community and support the Parents Over Platforms Act, which protects children and empowers developers with a flexible, risk-based approach to parental control without turning every small app into a gold mine for hackers” said Morgan Reed, president of ACT | The App Association. “We need to do more to protect our kids from inappropriate content online, and POPA does that in a way that maintains parental control over how much of their children’s data is shared.”
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About ACT | The App Association:
ACT is a global trade association for small and medium-sized technology companies. Our members are entrepreneurs, innovators, and independent developers within the global app ecosystem that engage with verticals across every industry. We work with our members to promote a policy environment that rewards and inspires innovation while providing resources that help small businesses raise capital, create jobs, and continue to build incredible technology.