Feb 19, 2026 20:00:00

A bill has been introduced requiring age verification even for calculator apps, and minors will need parental permission when updating.

On January 27, 2026, the Arizona State Legislature introduced

HB2920 , which has been described as 'arguably the most aggressive app store age verification bill in the United States.' HB2920 would require users to verify their age not only when downloading apps, but also when using pre-installed software, browsers, text messaging apps, search bars, calculators, weather forecasts, and other apps and features.

Arizona Bill Requires Age Verification for All Apps
https://reclaimthenet.org/arizona-bill-would-require-id-checks-to-use-a-weather-app

HB2920, a bill currently under consideration by the House Science and Technology Committee, would create a surveillance architecture that would apply to all mobile device users in Arizona. HB2920 would require the age demographics of all mobile device users to be verified and that data would be shared with developers.

HB 2920 would categorize users into four categories when creating an app store account in Arizona: 'children under 13,' 'teenagers ages 13-16,' 'young adults ages 16-18,' and 'adults age 18 or older.' The bill also would task the Arizona Attorney General with 'establishing rules to establish acceptable authentication processes.'

Accounts for users under the age of 18 will be required to be linked to a parental account, and minors will need verifiable parental consent to download, purchase, or make in-app purchases on the app store. The consent requirement will also apply to pre-installed apps, and even web browsers and messaging apps will require parental consent the first time they are launched.

HB 2920 is unclear about how the relationship between a child's account and a parent's account will actually be verified. App stores are given broad authority to determine parent-child relationships through commercially reasonable means (without explicit explanation), but there are no regulations regarding how they should do so.

HB2920 also requires parents to grant permission for minors to access updated versions of apps, not just when the app is first installed, but also if the developer makes 'material changes' to the app.

The 'significant changes' mentioned here include 'changes to privacy policies,' 'changes to data collection categories,' 'changes to age ratings,' 'addition of in-app purchases,' 'addition of advertisements,' etc. Therefore, independent media

Reclaim The Net commented that 'this bill creates a system in which regular software updates become an opportunity to block access.'

HB 2920 also requires developers to notify app stores of any material changes, and requires app stores to notify parental accounts and obtain consent again before providing access to the modified version. Violations of these rules could subject developers and app stores to fines of up to $75,000 per violation. Meanwhile, parents and minors would have a civil right of action to sue for $1,000 per violation, plus punitive damages.

For this system to work, app store operators must collect and maintain detailed records about the age group, parental status, and consent status of every user, and share this data with developers every time a user downloads, purchases, or launches an app.

Additionally, HB2920 includes provisions requiring app stores to use 'industry-standard encryption' and limit data use to compliance purposes, but these safeguards come alongside broader data collection requirements. Information such as demographic data, parental relationships, verification records, and consent history must all be maintained and communicated between parties for the system to function.

Texas was considering a similar age verification law in 2025, scheduled to go into effect in January 2026, but a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law's implementation. Judge Robert Pittman, who issued the preliminary injunction, said the age verification law 'is likely unconstitutional.'

Federal judge blocks Texas law requiring app stores to verify age - GIGAZINE

The purpose of these age verification laws is to protect children, but their effect is to create systems that collect a lot of sensitive data from children, Reclaim The Net points out.

Reclaim The Net also points out that if HB2920 goes into effect, developers may stop updating their apps altogether in order to avoid triggering parental verification requirements. 'Small developers may choose to exit the market entirely rather than build a compliance infrastructure,' Reclaim The Net wrote.

For those who value access to information without showing identification, this bill raises fundamental questions: reading the news, checking the weather, sending a message, using a calculator—all of these would require proof of age, and even parental permission if you're under 18.

While a preliminary injunction was issued against Texas' age verification law, similar laws have been passed in Utah, Louisiana, and California, with the latter set to go into effect in late 2026 and in California in 2027.