Age-verification laws often create a false sense of security that tech-savvy teens often bypass. If we want to keep kids safe online, lawmakers must pivot to tools that empower parents without age-gating the internet for everyone.

A proposed set of federal and state laws, known as the App Store Accountability Act, would mandate age verification for all app store users who download apps or make in-app purchases. Proponents say it’s a necessary shield against online harms, but critics argue it erects a digital tollbooth on free expression, forcing every citizen to surrender personal data just to browse software.

Although some supporters might want to frame the App Store Accountability Act like a physical retail store — routine in-store ID checks for alcohol and tobacco — this is more like checking the IDs of everyone who wants to enter the store. Checking an ID at a register works because a physical clerk can look you in the eye. Digital app stores, by contrast, cannot tell a 14-year-old from a 40-year-old without demanding invasive credentials from everyone.

Such proposals are currently sweeping through several states like Texas, Utah, Louisiana, Alabama, and California,........

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