AUSTIN, TX - A new poll from the Texas Public Policy Foundation reveals strong support among Texas parents and voters for legislation requiring app stores to obtain parental approval before children can download apps.

Key findings from the poll include:

  • 75% of all Texas voters support requiring app stores to get parental approval for teens to download apps
  • 79% of Texas parents specifically support such requirements
  • 88% of Texas Republican voters support these measures
  • 71% of Texas parents believe providing approval in one place (the app store) is easier than individual app approvals
  • 61% of Texas parents would be more likely to vote for legislators who support these requirements

“Big Tech has adopted a business strategy of addicting children to their products and services while simultaneously pulling all the stops to prevent parents from having transparency or control over what their children are accessing, said David Dunmoyer, Director of the Better Tech for Tomorrow Campaign at TPPF. “Parents have had enough of being robbed the ability to parent in the digital age, and they recognize a need for commonsense solutions to prevent their kids from being exposed to predators, harmful content, and a vortex of addictive content.”

The poll comes as the Texas Legislature considers the App Store Accountability Act (Senate Bill 2420 and House Bill 4901), introduced by Senator Angela Paxton and Representative Caroline Fairly. The legislation would require app stores to implement parental approval and age verification systems, joining states like Utah that have recently enacted similar measures to protect children online.

“These poll results confirm what our research has indicated – parents seek meaningful tools to protect their children in the digital world,” said Greyson Gee, Policy Analyst Texas Public Policy Foundation. “Parents shouldn’t have to be cybersecurity experts to keep their children safe online. The App Store Accountability Act provides what parents have been desperately asking for: real protection through robust age verification and explicit parental consent for every download and in-app transaction.”

To read more about the app store accountability act, visit: https://www.texaspolicy.com/app-store-accountability-act/