VICTORY! Utah Passes App Store Accountability Act!
Exciting new legislation to protect children online has taken a big step forward! Yesterday, the state legislature in Utah passed the App Store Accountability Act, which will now require app stores, such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, to verify the age of users before allowing them to download age-restricted apps. It also requires parental consent for minors to download apps or make in-app purchases, and requires app stores have accurate age ratings to inform parents about the dangers on an app.
Utah is the first state to pass app store accountability legislation! We hope this will start a domino effect as other states also consider this crucial child protection solution.
The App Store Accountability Act provides a wide-reaching solution to child online safety that will significantly simplify parents’ efforts to keep their kids safe online. Rather than trying to address dangers one app at a time, it targets the key chokepoints: the places where children download all apps to begin with.
Learn more about the App Store Accountability Act below. |
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Florida AG Opens Criminal Investigation into Andrew & Tristan Tate
Last week, news hit nearly every mainstream outlet that Andrew and Tristan Tate, two brothers who have been charged with sex trafficking and other crimes, were travelling to the United States. Following their arrival in Florida, the state’s Attorney General promptly opened a criminal investigation into them.
In answering questions about the brothers, AG James Uthmeier said:
“Look, these guys have themselves publicly admitted to participating in what very much appears to be soliciting, trafficking, preying upon women around the world. Many of these victims coming forward, some of them minors. People can spin or defend however they want, but in Florida, this type of behavior is viewed as atrocious. We’re not going to accept it. They chose to come here and set their feet down in this state and we’re going to pursue every tool we have within our legal authority to hold them accountable. "
The NCOSE Law Center is representing a survivor of Andrew & Tristan Tate in litigation. We are thrilled to see Florida launching this criminal investigation, and warmly commend AG Uthmeier for doing his part to see that the Tates are brought to justice.
Learn more about Andrew Tate and the allegations against him below. |
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First Lady Backs the TAKE IT DOWN Act
First Lady Melania Trump used her first public remarks of her husband's second term to express public support for the TAKE IT DOWN Act. This crucial bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), combats the scourge of image-based sexual abuse (i.e. including non-consensually created or shared sexual images) by requiring tech companies swiftly remove the images after they are reported by a survivor.
NCOSE leadership was present at a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill in which the First Lady, sat alongside lawmakers, survivors, and advocates calling for the passing of the TAKE IT DOWN Act. Watch the full discussion below. |
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Bark Annual Report: What Being Online Was Like for Kids in 2024 Every year, Bark analyzes the rate at which children encounter harmful content and behavior online. Bark's 2024 Annual Report synthesizes data from 7.9 billion activities across texts, email, YouTube, and 30+ apps and social media platforms. Key findings include:
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63% of tweens and 77% of teens experienced sexual content online (anything from web searches for explicit content to child receiving nude photos)
- In 2024, the top apps flagged for severe sexual content were the following: 1. Kik, 2. X, 3. Reddit, 4. Tumblr, 5. Instagram
- Instagram and X are listed in top 5 worst in every single one of Bark’s Annual Report categories: severe sexual content, severe suicidal ideation, depression, body image concerns, severe bullying, hate speech, severe violence.
Access the full report below! |
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