Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly reached out to Texas Governor Greg Abbott as part of the company’s efforts to halt proposed state laws aimed at verifying user ages for app stores.
Last week, Cook called Abbott to request modifications to the online child safety legislation. If those changes didn’t happen, he asked for a veto, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Sources indicated that their conversation was sincere, emphasizing that Apple’s push against the legislation came from the highest levels of the organization.
As of now, Governor Abbott has not indicated whether he will sign the bill, which has already passed through the state legislature without a veto from the majority.
Apple has been active in lobbying against this legislation, applying pressure on lawmakers prior to the bill’s passage, but it seems those efforts were not effective.
If Abbott signs the bill, Texas would become the largest state in the U.S. to adopt what is known as the App Store Accountability Act. Currently, Utah is the only state that has similar laws in place, although at least nine other states are considering similar measures.
The implications of this legislation are significant, as many fear that it could encourage other states to follow suit, potentially creating new challenges for tech giants like Apple and Google, which currently hold market valuations of $2.92 trillion and $2.076 trillion respectively.
The proposed Online Child Safety Act would require app stores to verify the ages of device users. If a user is identified as a minor, their account would be linked to a parent’s account, thereby granting parents greater oversight of their child’s smartphone activities.
