A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Parents Over Platforms Act aims to establish responsible age assurance practices within the mobile ecosystem to protect minors. It mandates that Application Distribution Providers ask account holders to declare their age and provide technical capabilities for sharing "Age Signals" with developers. Developers of "Covered Applications" must make reasonable efforts to determine if a user is an Adult or a Minor and must obtain consent before allowing Minors to access certain content. Additionally, the bill prohibits developers from delivering personalized advertising to Minors. The Act includes specific liability protections for providers and developers making good faith efforts to comply. Enforcement of these provisions is delegated to the Federal Trade Commission.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +8
Would children be better off under this?
The bill enhances protections for minors by restricting targeted advertising and requiring parental controls.
- Scored +7
Does this put more rules on large technology companies?
The bill imposes new obligations on application distributors and developers regarding age verification and advertising.
- Scored +6
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill protects minors from personalized advertising and mandates age assurance practices.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Parental Control: Application Distribution Providers must provide parents with the ability to prevent Minors from acquiring or using a Developer's Covered Application (Section 102(a)(1)).
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Improved Safety Information: Developers are required to provide information regarding privacy and online safety settings to help parents support Minors using their applications (Section 102(b)(2)).
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Protection from Targeted Advertising: The bill explicitly prohibits Developers of Covered Applications from delivering personalized advertising to Minors (Section 102(b)(6)).
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Content Restriction: Developers must make reasonable efforts to ensure that users who are Minors cannot engage in any activity that the developer has restricted for Adults only (Section 102(b)(4)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Data Privacy Risks Regarding Age Verification: While the bill mandates requesting the minimum amount of information, Developers are still required to use "commercially reasonable efforts" to determine age with a "reasonable level of certainty" (Section 102(b)(3)).
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Restrictions on Content Access: Developers must obtain consent prior to permitting Minor account holders to access content that is age-gated by law or designated as unsuitable without parental guidance (Section 102(b)(5)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill enhances protections for minors by restricting targeted advertising and requiring parental controls. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill's protections against personalized advertising may reduce predatory targeted marketing to minors in low-income families. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill imposes age-verification requirements that may affect users nearing adulthood. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill establishes age-based digital barriers that are part of a broader ecosystem change.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more rules on large technology companies? — The bill imposes new obligations on application distributors and developers regarding age verification and advertising.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill limits the data developers can collect and prohibits the use of age signals for purposes beyond age assurance. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill delegates enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission to oversee compliance.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill protects minors from personalized advertising and mandates age assurance practices.
- 12/11/2025
- Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
- 12/1/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Erin HouchinRepublican · Indiana