By Lydia Moynihan
Publication Date: 2026-04-02 04:10:00
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) is set to introduce the “Empowering Parents to Protect Their Children’s Devices Act” next week, which would require Apple and Google to verify users’ ages before they download potentially harmful apps, The Post has learned.
This means that parents, if they want, could meaningfully restrict the content their kids can access on their devices at the operating system level.
Right now, a child can access TikTok, Instagram, or an AI companion chatbot just by entering a fake birthday — and in fact, most do.
A majority of kids under 13 are already on social media despite age requirements — and studies show they average more than three social media accounts each, according to a copy of the bill.
