It’s not just porn that lawmakers want you to have to verify your age for, but also social media apps like Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.

Republican lawmakers in Ohio have unveiled a new plan to restrict minors under 16 from accessing social media without parental consent—this time by placing the responsibility on app stores like Apple’s App Store and Google Play rather than individual platforms.

State Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and state Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) introduced the legislation Wednesday, describing it as a constitutionally sound alternative to Ohio’s previous age verification law, which has been blocked in court since 2023.

The proposed law would require app stores to implement age verification mechanisms before allowing downloads of apps categorized as social media platforms. Parents would verify their child’s age using a government-issued ID or a credit card, and the app store would then provide apps with age-range data—without disclosing sensitive personal information, the lawmakers said.

“The process is simple,” Miller explained. “When a parent gets their teen a smartphone, the parent can easily go into the app store and confirm… they are the parent or guardian.”

Reynolds emphasized that the law “puts parents, not the government, in charge of their children’s online access” and argued the bill avoids constitutional pitfalls by applying to all apps equally and preserving the right to online anonymity.

The original Ohio law, dubbed the Social Media Parental Notification Act, was halted by a federal judge who said it violated the First Amendment and overstepped state authority by requiring users to disclose identity information. Judge Timothy L. Brooks in neighboring Arkansas issued a similar ruling last week in a separate case, calling that state’s version of an age verification law a “hatchet” approach to constitutionally protected speech.

By comparison, Reynolds and Miller say the new Ohio proposal uses a “scalpel.”

Still, it remains unclear whether transferring responsibility to app stores will be enough to survive legal scrutiny. Privacy advocates and digital rights groups, such as NetChoice and the ACLU, have consistently warned that age verification measures—especially those involving personal data—can chill free expression and erode user privacy.

Notably, a divide may be emerging among major tech firms. When Utah passed a similar app store law earlier this year, Meta, along with Snapchat and X, praised the measure. Google and Apple, however, expressed concern. Apple has warned that enforcing such requirements at the app store level could expose significant amounts of private data. Google accused Meta of trying to offload its responsibilities for user safety.

All five companies are members of NetChoice, which successfully blocked age verification laws in multiple states last year. But with member companies now at odds, the trade group’s unified front may weaken in future legal battles.

According to advocacy group Digital Childhood Alliance, seven to sixteen U.S. states are now exploring similar legislation focused on app store based controls. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Apple successfully blocked a Louisiana proposal last year, highlighting the legal and logistical challenges ahead for Ohio and other states pursuing this strategy.

Despite the uncertainties, Reynolds and Miller say their approach better balances parental control with constitutional protections, and they hope it will serve as a model for other states.

“This bill doesn’t just recognize the problem,” Reynolds said. “It provides a realistic path forward to help families take back control in the digital age.”