Letter to the editor: App Store Accountability Act advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee

To the editor:

As a North Carolinian who cares deeply about the well-being of our families and children, I was encouraged to see the App Store Accountability Act advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee this month. This common-sense legislation represents an important step toward giving parents more control over their kids’ digital lives.

Smartphones and apps have become a central part of childhood. But too often, parents are left navigating a confusing system where responsibility for protecting kids online is scattered and unclear. 

The App Store Accountability Act takes a straightforward approach, requiring that app stores gain parental consent before minors download apps and ensuring that app age ratings reflect actual content. This allows parents to have confidence that safeguards are in place when their children download apps.

Importantly, this bill does not expand government bureaucracy or burden families with new rules. Instead, it empowers parents with better tools and clearer information so they can make the best decisions for their own children. That’s a pro-family solution that respects both parental authority and personal freedom.

North Carolina families should also be grateful to Rep. Richard Hudson for supporting this effort. His leadership in advancing practical solutions to help parents keep their kids safe online deserves recognition.

Congress now has an opportunity to build on this momentum. I encourage the full House to take up the App Store Accountability Act and pass it. Parents, not Big Tech and not the government, should be in charge of guiding their children online.

Our families will be better off for it.