SB 142, the App Store Accountability Act, requires app stores operating in Utah to verify users' age categories (child, younger teen, older teen, or adult) and obtain parental consent for minors before allowing app downloads, purchases, or in-app transactions. It mandates app stores to notify users and parents of significant app changes (like new ads or privacy policies) and share age verification data with developers. Developers must verify age status through app stores and cannot enforce contracts with minors without confirmed parental consent. The law treats violations as deceptive trade practices, creates a private right for parents to seek remedies, and gives Utah's Division of Consumer Protection authority to set age verification standards.
This bill was amended to correct a House Sponsor name, fix several effective dates in the Utah Code sections affected list, and reorganize the formatting and numbering of the bill text. The substantive policy content regarding app store accountability, age verification, and parental consent requirements remains unchanged.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain the same; only administrative details were corrected.
TECHNICAL
Added House Sponsor name 'James A. Dunnigan' which was missing in the substitute version.
Reorganized the bill text formatting, including page breaks, line numbers, and the structure of the highlighted provisions section.
Changed the chapter title from '75. APP STORE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT' to 'CHAPTER 75. APP STORE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT' and added 'Part 1. General Provisions' for better organization.
TIMELINE
Corrected the effective dates listed in the Utah Code Sections Affected section to match the actual effective dates in the bill text (e.g., changed 13-75-401 from 05/06/26 to 12/31/26 and 13-75-402 from 05/07/25 to 12/31/26 in the list).
The bill was amended to clarify definitions and expand the scope of mobile devices covered. The most significant change is the modification of the 'mobile device' definition to explicitly include phones and general-purpose tablets, while removing the broader 'portable computing device' language. This change likely aims to ensure the law applies to common consumer devices like smartphones and tablets while potentially excluding other portable computing devices like laptops or handheld gaming consoles.
Scope change
The bill's applicability was narrowed by modifying the definition of 'mobile device' to specifically list phones and general-purpose tablets, rather than using the broader term 'portable computing device'.
DEFINITION
The definition of 'mobile device' was changed from 'portable computing device' to 'phone or general purpose tablet', narrowing the scope of devices subject to the bill's age verification and parental consent requirements.
The definition of 'app store' was updated to specify that apps are downloaded 'onto a mobile device', clarifying the intended platform for the applications covered by the law.
The definition of 'app store provider' was similarly updated to specify that users download apps 'onto a mobile device', ensuring consistency with the revised mobile device definition.
The bill was reorganized from a House amendment format to a complete substitute bill with a new title 'App Store Accountability Act' and updated definitions. The scope expanded to include new age categories (child, younger teenager, older teenager, adult) and comprehensive requirements for age verification, parental consent, and data sharing between app stores and developers. The effective dates were updated to May 2025 and December 2026, with provisions now covering both app store providers and developers under a unified framework.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from a partial amendment to a comprehensive substitute bill covering both app store providers and developers, with new age categories and expanded definitions for mobile devices and operating systems.
DEFINITION
Added new age categories including 'child' (under 13), 'younger teenager' (13-15), 'older teenager' (16-17), and 'adult' (18+)
Modified 'Mobile device' definition to include four specific criteria including mobile operating system requirements
REQUIREMENT
Added requirements for app store providers to verify user ages, obtain parental consent for minors, and share age data with developers
Added requirements for developers to verify age and consent status through app stores and notify stores of significant changes
TIMELINE
Added specific effective dates ranging from May 2025 to December 2026 for different sections
ENFORCEMENT
Added provisions for designating violations as deceptive trade practices and creating a private right of action for parents
TECHNICAL
Removed House amendment formatting and replaced with complete bill structure including title, sponsor information, and long title section
The bill was amended from Senate to House version, shifting from 4th to 6th Sub. with updated dates. The House version reorganized line numbering, added new definitions for 'app store provider' and 'mobile device', and modified age verification requirements by removing certain conditions while adding restrictions on parental account affiliation.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include more specific definitions for app stores and mobile devices, while age verification requirements were streamlined by removing some conditions and adding new restrictions on account structures.
DEFINITION
Added new definitions for 'app store provider' and 'mobile device' to clarify which platforms and devices the bill covers.
REQUIREMENT
Removed requirements for developers to request personal age verification data or parental consent under certain circumstances.
Added a restriction preventing developers from requiring users to affiliate with parent accounts.
TECHNICAL
Reorganized line numbering and formatting from Senate version to House version, changing line references from 188-191 to 66-70 and 193-198 to 81-83.
The Senate amended the App Store Accountability Act to add a third scenario for when developers can request age verification data or parental consent, expanding it to include when a user creates a new account with the developer. This change clarifies and broadens the circumstances under which developers may access sensitive user information to ensure compliance with age verification requirements.
Scope change
The bill's scope regarding developer data access requirements was expanded to include a new trigger event for requesting age verification data.
REQUIREMENT
Added a new provision allowing developers to request personal age verification data or parental consent when a user creates a new account with the developer, in addition to existing triggers for app downloads, purchases, and significant changes.
Modified the list of circumstances under which developers may request age verification data by adding 'to comply with applicable laws or regulations' as a separate item and restructuring the formatting of the existing items.
Modified the conditions under which developers may request age verification data for accuracy verification by adding 'or' between the two existing conditions and adding a new condition for when a user creates a new account with the developer.
Substitute #5→Substitute #6·4 edits
MODERATE
This bill text shows formatting and layout changes between two versions of the same legislative substitute bill. The substantive policy content, definitions, requirements, and enforcement provisions remain identical. The changes are primarily cosmetic, including the addition of a 'Cherry' amendment marker, updated timestamps, and reformatting of the long title section with bullet points and indentation.
TECHNICAL
Added '6th Sub. (Cherry) S.B. 142' and timestamp '02-19 17:30' to indicate this is the sixth substitute version with amendments from Senator Cherry.
Reformatted the long title section to use bullet points (▸ and ●) instead of plain text for the highlighted provisions.
Changed the chapter title format from 'CHAPTER 75. APP STORE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT' to 'Part 1. General Provisions' with updated section numbering.
Added page number markers ('-2-' and '-3-') and adjusted line breaks and spacing throughout the document.
Substitute #4→Substitute #5·3 edits
MINOR
This bill text transitioned from a summary/draft format (Substitute #4) to a formal legislative substitute document (Substitute #5). The substantive policy content regarding age verification, parental consent, and app store accountability remains unchanged. The primary differences are formatting improvements, proper page breaks, and corrected section numbering for the formal bill text.
TECHNICAL
Converted from a summary format with bullet points to a formal legislative bill structure with proper section headers and page breaks.
Added proper page numbering and formatting consistent with Utah legislative standards.
Corrected section numbering and formatting to match standard legislative document requirements.
Substitute #3→Substitute #4·4 edits
MODERATE
The bill text was reformatted from a compact legislative markup style to a standard readable format. The substantive policy content, definitions, requirements, and provisions remain unchanged, though some effective dates in the title page differ slightly from the body text.
TECHNICAL
Reformatted bill text from compact markup notation to standard readable legislative format with proper spacing and indentation.
House Sponsor name changed from 'LONG TITLE' to 'James A. Dunnigan' in the header information.
Minor formatting adjustments including removal of line number markers and cleanup of spacing throughout the document.
TIMELINE
Effective dates listed in the title page header show Section 13-75-401 effective 12/31/26, while the body text shows 05/06/26, creating a minor inconsistency.
Substitute #2→Substitute #3·1 edit
MINOR
The bill text was reformatted from a compact single-line layout to a properly indented multi-line format with correct spacing and line breaks. The substantive policy content, definitions, requirements, and effective dates remain unchanged.
TECHNICAL
Text formatting was improved from a single-line compressed layout to a standard multi-line format with proper indentation and line breaks for readability.
Substitute #1→Substitute #2·1 edit
MINOR
The bill text was reformatted from a compact single-line layout to a properly indented multi-line format for readability. The substantive policy content, including definitions, requirements, and effective dates, remains unchanged.
TECHNICAL
Reformatted text from dense single-line layout to properly indented multi-line structure for readability and clarity.
Introduced→Enrolled·3 edits·Mar 26, 2025
MINOR
The bill was finalized and enrolled for signature, with minor formatting improvements and a change to the effective date for enforcement provisions from May 6, 2026 to December 31, 2026. The substantive policy requirements for age verification, parental consent, and data sharing between app stores and developers remain the same.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it still applies to app store providers and developers operating in Utah.
TIMELINE
The effective date for enforcement provisions (Sections 13-75-201, 13-75-202, and 13-75-401) was delayed from May 6, 2026 to December 31, 2026, giving more time for compliance.
TECHNICAL
Minor formatting and wording adjustments were made throughout the text, such as changing 'portable computing device' to 'phone or general purpose tablet' in the mobile device definition and updating the app store definition to explicitly mention downloading apps onto mobile devices.
The House Sponsor name was added to the enrolled copy, which was not present in the introduced version.
Floor votes
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
