Google rejects Meta's proposal to verify user age via apps
What's the story
Tech giant Google has rejected the idea of verifying a user's age through app stores on operating systems (OS). The company called a proposal from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, "ineffective." The move comes as part of Europe's Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into effect last year. The legislation places the responsibility of user age verification on platforms like Meta, not OS or app store providers.
Ongoing conflict
Age verification is a hot topic in Europe
The issue of limiting access to age-restricted online content is currently being debated in Europe. France is embroiled in a fight with pornography sites over its newly-introduced requirement for them to check users' ages. Paris is also among several capitals urging Brussels to implement Europe-wide regulations restricting access to social networks for under-15s due to concerns like addiction, cyberbullying, and hate speech.
Privacy issues
Proposal could expose online content access routes for minors: Google
Google has expressed strong concerns over the proposal of using app store data for age verification. The company argued that this would require sharing granular age band data with millions of developers who don't need it, including those behind non-controversial apps like flashlights. Google also warned that this method would expose major online content access routes for minors, such as desktop computers or shared family devices.
Industry response
Apple's response highlights industry-wide debate on age verification
Apple, whose App Store is pre-installed on every device running its iOS operating system, has also opposed Meta's proposal. The company said in a February document that "the right place to address the dangers of age-restricted content online is the limited set of websites and apps that host that content." This response highlights an industry-wide debate over how best to handle age verification for online content.
Regulatory push
Meta pushing for mandatory age verification in Europe
Meta has been pushing for European regulation to make age verification mandatory. The company's safety chief Antigone Davis had said in February, "Implementing age verification at the operating system or app store level will help ensure that we create an ecosystem that's safe for teens."