By: Colson A. Thomas
Every day, kids and teens across America are exposed to harmful content and online predators through apps downloaded from app stores. While these digital platforms have become a normal part of growing up, they’ve also become one of the most dangerous – yet overlooked – threats facing young people today.
That’s why the App Store Accountability Act, introduced by Senator Mike Lee and Representative John James, is so important. This legislation is designed to require app stores to implement safeguards that help protect minors from digital manipulation, predatory behavior, and inappropriate content. It would also give parents meaningful tools to monitor and control the apps their children download.
As a college student, I see this issue up close. I’ve watched peers and classmates fall victim to online manipulation through apps that claimed to be harmless. Many teens don’t realize they’re being targeted until it’s too late – and by then, the emotional and psychological damage is done. This is not some distant policy concern for me; it’s a daily reality for people my age and younger.
The Children Crime Prevention and Safety Center reports that kids between 12 and 15 years old are especially vulnerable to grooming by adults online. Bad actors often pose as peers through messaging or social media apps, slowly building trust until they can exploit that connection. These situations can escalate quickly – from emotional manipulation to attempts to lure children away from home.
And yet, app stores continue to function with virtually no accountability for the content they distribute or the dangers they facilitate. Parents are often left in the dark, with no clear way to understand which apps pose risks or to filter out dangerous platforms. That’s what the App Store Accountability Act aims to fix.
The legislation would create requirements for app stores to display meaningful age ratings, allow parental controls that work across platforms, and disclose how apps handle user data. It would require app stores to secure parental approval and age verification from parents before minors are allowed to download an app of any kind. The bill doesn’t pick winners and losers or give government censorship control of the internet but simply gives parents a critical tool for them to keep their own kids safe. Bluntly, it would help create a safer online environment without limiting access to educational or age-appropriate content.
This is not about censorship – it’s about protection. Giving parents the power to make informed decisions about what their children can download is common sense. For far too long, app stores have operated as if they have no role in protecting the kids who use their platforms. This bill changes that.
If we care about our kids, we need to update our laws to reflect the digital world they now grow up in. We regulate toys, car seats, and playgrounds for safety – why should we treat app stores any differently?
As someone who grew up in this digital age, I can tell you this legislation is long overdue. Our generation doesn’t need more screen time – we need more safeguards. We need policymakers to treat online safety for kids and teens as a national priority, not an afterthought.
I encourage parents, educators, and concerned citizens to contact their members of Congress and urge them to support the App Store Accountability Act. Protecting kids online shouldn’t be optional – it should be the law.
Colson Thomas is the founder of the College Republicans chapter at Murray State University and vice chairman of the Trigg County Republican Party.
