US EditionMeta, App Makers Launch Washington Lobby to Fight Apple and Google
- Meta, Spotify, Match Group, and others formed the Coalition for a Competitive Mobile Experience in early 2025 to challenge Apple and Google's role in age verification for app downloads in Washington, D.C.
- This coalition formed in response to growing demands from parents, legislators, and new state regulations such as Utah’s March 2025 law that mandates app stores to confirm user age through government-issued identification and secure parental approval for minors.
- The coalition contends that Apple and Google should be held accountable for confirming users' ages prior to app downloads, pointing to their dominant control over app stores and accusing them of engaging in anti-competitive practices that harm developers.
- Brandon Kressin, director of the coalition, explained that the initial member companies depend heavily on the mobile platform to reach their users, highlighting the advantage of collective strength when challenging the dominant players in the market.
- The coalition’s efforts to influence federal and state legislation and to support antitrust actions may reshape responsibility for protecting minors online and raise new questions about privacy and practicality.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Meta lobbies Apple and Google to take over age verification for young people online
With pressure mounting from parents and lawmakers over social media age verification, a legal showdown between tech giants is beginning to take shape in Washington.The showdown centers on a seemingly simple question, but one with huge implications for the future of the web: Who is responsible for age verification?As Emily Birnbaum reports for Bloomberg, a new lobbying group for this issue — backed by industry heavyweights like Meta, Spotify, and…
Meta, App Makers Launch Washington Lobby to Fight Apple and Google
App makers Meta Platforms Inc., Spotify Technology SA and Match Group Inc. are girding for a high-stakes political battle with the world’s two dominant smartphone platforms over who should take responsibility for verifying users’ ages.
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