FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gene Mills
225-344-8533
[email protected]
Governor Landry Signs App Store Accountability Act
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 (BATON ROUGE) – Once again, Louisiana is on the forefront of protecting children online. LFF applauds the work of this legislature and the governor in demonstrating that parents are the best arbiters of what is acceptable for their own children.
On June 30, 2025, Governor Jeff Landry signed into law The App Store Accountability Act (HB 570) by Rep. Kim Carver which empowers parents to screen harmful material from children. And not one “NO” vote was cast against passage of the bill!
Despite tremendous pressure from Big Tech Titans to weaken the bill’s accountability provisions, the legislature and Governor Landry stood solid to prevent the exploitation of Louisiana children!
Mobile device app stores are the gatekeepers of the digital world, yet their practices often prioritize access and profit over safety. Right now, app stores allow minors to download apps, agree to contractual “terms of service,” and then make purchases without a parent’s consent. This leaves parents susceptible to misleading age-ratings, exploitative contracts, and harmful or adult content available to young eyes.
HB 570 by Rep. Carver addresses these issues by:
- Requiring age verification by the app stores
- Ensuring accurate and transparent age ratings
- Mandating parental consent for minors downloading apps
This is the tool for parents to say “no, thank you” to Big Tech’s unlimited access to children.
Big Tech touts parental controls and child safety, but in reality, it is incredibly difficult for parents to have a meaningful voice in the complex world of a child’s digital experience.
Gene Mills, President of Louisiana Family Forum, thanks Governor Jeff Landry, author Rep Kim Carver, and the founder of “online age-verification policy,” Rep. Laurie Schlegel. “HB 570 is a commonsense measure to protect kids online. We are thankful that our governor has consistently held that no individual or entity has a right to harm a child. Requiring consent from a child’s parent to download an enforceable contract application is consistent with the preamble to the Louisiana Children’s Code regarding parental authority.”
LFF thanks the Digital Childhood Alliance which provides assistance in crafting bills which are narrowly tailored, effective, and constitutional. They have been successful so far in Louisiana, Utah and Texas.
HB 570 goes into effect on July 1, 2026. This will give ample time for app stores and developers to comply with these Louisiana protections for children.
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