Meta lobbies Apple and Google to take over age verification for young people online

With pressure mounting from parents and lawmakers over social media age verification, a legal showdown between tech giants is beginning to take shape in Washington. The showdown centers on a seemingly simple question, but one with huge implications for the future of the web: Who is responsible for age verification? As Emily Birnbaum reports for Bloomberg, a new lobbying group for this issue -- backed by industry heavyweights like Meta, Spotify, and Match Group (parent company of Tinder and Hinge) -- has launched in Washington, D.C. The lobbying group argues that since Apple and Google control the app stores, they should verify user ages before downloads occur. Unsurprisingly, Apple and Google disagree, arguing that because apps collect and handle user data, the obligation falls squarely on developers.