First-in-Nation App Store Age-Check Bill Heads to Utah Governor

Teen restrictions on app stores such as those run by Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.‘s Google are headed to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) in the first measure of its kind to clear a state legislature.

The bill (S.B. 142) cleared Wednesday by the state Senate would require phone and tablet app stores to verify users’ ages and require parental permission for youth under 18. Its passage marks a win for Meta Platforms Inc., which is lobbying states to adopt the provisions as lawmakers seek to protect children online.

Backers—including Meta, Snap Inc., and X ...