Founders Bring Their Stories to Washington: GAEC U.S. 2026
ACT’s Annual Global App Economy Conferences (GAECs) bring our startup and tech members together for three days of founder-to-founder networking and direct engagement with policymakers. GAECs are the culmination of what we do at ACT, bringing our three pillars together in one event that fosters Community, provides resources and Education, and creates an opportunity for our startup, scaleup, and small business members to engage directly in Advocacy. Throughout the year, ACT hosts three GAECs: one in the EU, [...]
The 1-2-3s of Age Verification Compliance in the United States
Part Two of ACT’s Two-Part Resource: The ABCs and 1-2-3s of Age Verification and Compliance Lawmakers across the United States are introducing a wave of age-verification and parental-consent laws aimed at protecting kids online. While well-intentioned, these state-by-state approaches create a confusing and costly patchwork for startups and independent developers. And, as we have seen in other efforts to use age-verification methods, the very people these laws aim to protect often become more vulnerable to the harms the bills [...]
The ABCs of Age Verification in the United States
Lawmakers across the United States are introducing a wave of age-verification and parental-consent laws aimed at protecting kids online. While well-intentioned, these state-by-state approaches create a confusing and costly patchwork for startups and independent developers. And as we have seen in other efforts to use age-verification methods, the very people these laws aim to protect often become more vulnerable to the harms they were meant to prevent. To help our members stay ahead, we’re breaking it down into two living [...]
UK Parents, Children, and Teens Deserve Real Solutions
Social Media Ban Is the Wrong Tool to Protect Kids Online LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Reacting to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement that the UK Government will work to enact a ban on social media access for children and teens under 16-years old, Stephen Tulip, UK Country Manager for the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) said: ‘The UK should avoid creating a regulatory framework that only the largest technology companies can afford to navigate. Measures that require extensive collection [...]
Fifth Circuit Lays an Egg on Age Verification
At the end of last year, app developers and parents notched an important win when a federal district court in Texas issued an injunction against enforcement of the problematic App Store Accountability Act (ASAA). Then, Texas’s attorney general appealed the injunction. Just last week, three judges for the Fifth Circuit (the Court) issued a decision to stay the injunction pending review of the appeal. As part of the decision, the judges forecasted that Texas is likely to prevail and [...]
Broad Coalition Voices Opposition to the American Innovation and Choice Online Act
The Honorable Chuck Grassley Chairman Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate The Honorable Dick Durbin Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate RE: Opposition to the American Innovation and Choice Online Act Dear Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Durbin: We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, write to urge Congress to reject the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA). The bill would impose heavy restrictions on the ability of America’s leading digital platforms to engage in [...]