New Privacy Perspectives Episode: App Store Age Assurance Laws Aren't Going Away

Texas recently blocked its App Store Accountability Act from taking effect on First Amendment grounds. Problem solved, right? Not even close.

In the latest episode of Privacy Perspectives (part of the Ad Law Access podcast feed), Alex Schneider sits down with Laura Riposo VanDruff and Paul Singer to explain why app store age assurance remains very much a live issue—and why companies across the digital ecosystem need to pay attention.

The injunction in Texas hasn't stopped similar laws from moving forward in Utah, Louisiana, and California. Political pressure to address children's access to online content isn't going away, and the operational challenges of site-by-site age verification make app store-level solutions attractive to lawmakers.

Here's what makes this particularly tricky: app store age signals could expand compliance obligations under COPPA and state privacy laws for companies that don't even direct their services to children or teens. As app stores potentially become access gatekeepers, companies face real uncertainty around technical standards, APIs, and enforcement expectations that are still evolving.

The conversation covers the tension between child safety objectives and privacy interests, what the Texas decision actually means (and doesn't mean), and why companies should focus on good faith efforts and privacy by design rather than assuming injunctions signal the end of scrutiny.

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