The App Store Accountability Act is a new law being considered by Congress that would require everyone to prove their age before downloading any app from app stores like Apple's App Store or Google Play. New America, a policy research group, warns this law could create serious problems. The biggest concern is privacy - people would have to share personal information like driver's licenses or credit cards with app stores and app makers, even for apps that don't need age limits.
This information could be stolen by hackers, as has already happened with other apps. The law also raises free speech concerns because it would block people from accessing apps they have a right to use if they can't prove their age. Courts in Texas have already temporarily blocked a similar state law because it violates the First Amendment.
The researchers argue that age verification should only be required for apps with adult content, not all apps. They point out that kids can still access restricted content through web browsers anyway, making the law less effective while still creating privacy risks for everyone.