<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 59.1 a chapter numbered 60, consisting of sections numbered 59.1-614 through 59.1-619, relating to App Store Accountability Act; civil penalties; civil action.</p>
HB757 creates a new chapter in Title 59.1 of the Code of Virginia called the App Store Accountability Act. The bill would require app store providers to collect and verify users’ age categories, create minor accounts linked to parent accounts, and obtain verifiable parental consent before allowing minors to download or purchase apps or make in-app purchases. It also requires app stores to provide parental consent disclosures for each app, notify users and parents when an app undergoes a significant change, and share limited age-category and consent-status data with developers through specified data-sharing methods.
The bill also imposes parallel duties on app developers. Developers must assign age ratings and content descriptions to apps and in-app purchases, use app-store-provided age data to enforce age-based restrictions and safety features, and notify app stores of significant changes. Both app stores and developers are restricted from misrepresenting parental consent disclosures or broadly sharing age-category data, and the bill includes exceptions for emergency services apps, security, anti-spam, and lawful compliance. It also includes safe-harbor provisions for good-faith reliance on commercially reasonable age-verification processes and industry standards.
If enacted, HB757 would add a new regulatory framework governing app stores and app developers operating in Virginia, especially with respect to minors’ access to apps and in-app purchases. It would create new compliance obligations for age verification, parental consent, disclosure, data handling, and notice of app changes, while also limiting enforcement of contracts against minors absent verified parental consent. The bill authorizes the Attorney General to seek injunctions and civil penalties of up to $7,500 per violation, and it creates a private right of action for minors or parents to recover damages, including attorney fees and, in some cases, punitive damages. The act would take effect July 1, 2027.
The available legislative history suggests the bill was still in early committee stages and was continued to the next session in Labor and Commerce by voice vote, with no recorded roll-call vote or transcript available. That procedural outcome indicates the measure had not yet advanced to final consideration and likely remained under review. Based on the bill’s structure, the proposal appears aimed at child online safety and parental oversight, themes that often attract support from lawmakers concerned about minors’ digital exposure.
The main points of contention are likely to center on the burden the bill places on app store providers and developers, the feasibility and accuracy of age verification, and the privacy implications of collecting and transmitting age-category data. The bill’s requirements for parental consent, repeated verification, and notice of significant app changes could raise operational and compliance concerns for industry stakeholders, while the private right of action and civil penalties increase litigation exposure. At the same time, supporters would likely emphasize protections for minors, parental control, and transparency around app content and data practices. The bill’s exceptions for emergency services, pre-existing downloads, and good-faith compliance suggest an attempt to balance child-safety goals with practical and legal limits.