Deb Hines: Why I support passage of the App Store Accountability Act

By DEB HINES

May 7, 2026 – As an Alaska grandmother and a Christian, I think often about the world my granddaughters are growing up in. Like many teenagers, they use phones for school, communication with family and friends, photos, maps, and music, among other things. These devices have become almost impossible to avoid. In that sense, they are a new necessary evil: useful, even essential, but also capable of opening doors no child is prepared to walk through alone.

Parents and grandparents know this tension well. We want our children to learn, grow, and participate in modern life. But we also know that one careless click can expose a child to sexual content, violent material, addictive platforms, strangers with bad intentions, or apps designed to collect data and keep kids scrolling. Families are trying to protect children in a digital world that moves faster than any of us can reasonably monitor.

That is why I support passage of the App Store Accountability Act. This bill would put responsibility where it belongs: not on children, and not only on overwhelmed parents trying to chase down every app, update, setting, and loophole, but also on the app stores that serve as the gateway to the digital world.

According to Congressman John James’ office, the App Store Accountability Act would require age verification for app store accounts, require parental consent for users under 18, link minors’ devices to a parent or guardian, and establish enforcement mechanisms for violations. Rep. James put it plainly: “Kids cannot consent.” He is right. Children should not be treated like adults when they are asked to agree to complicated terms, surrender personal information, or enter online spaces that may be harmful or inappropriate.

Senator Mike Lee, who is leading the companion bill in the US Senate, has also said the legislation brings “age verification and accountability to the source of the problem.” That source is the app store. With millions of apps available, parents cannot realistically investigate every download, every in-app purchase, every chat feature, and every hidden danger. A one-stop place for parental consent is not too much to ask.

We already accept age checks in the physical world. We do not let children walk into a store and buy tobacco, alcohol, or other age-restricted products just because enforcing the rules takes effort. Yet online, children can often gain access to adult content and risky environments with far less oversight. That double standard makes no sense.

This bill is about empowering parents. It would give mothers, fathers, and guardians a clearer way to approve or block apps before they are downloaded. It would also help make age ratings more accurate, so families are not misled by labels that fail to truly show what children may encounter inside an app.

As a Christian, I believe children are a gift from God, and adults have a duty to protect their innocence, their minds, and their hearts. That duty begins at home, but families should not have to stand alone against some of the most powerful technology companies in the world. Parents deserve tools that match the scale of the problem.

I read that House Republicans are preparing to tackle this growing problem with additional youth online safety bills. I hope the App Store Accountability Act is part of that effort and receives the serious support it deserves. The longer Congress waits, the more children are left exposed to dangers their parents may not even know are there.

My granddaughters are bright, precious girls with their whole lives ahead of them. Like every child in Alaska and across this country, they deserve protection, guidance, and boundaries while they learn to navigate the digital world. Passing the App Store Accountability Act would be a practical, commonsense step toward giving families that help.

Congress should pass this bill and put parents back in charge.

Deb Hines lives in Anchorage, Alaska.