Meta-Backed Teen App Store Regulations Pit States Against Apple

App stores like those run by Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.‘s Google are the new target of state lawmakers seeking to protect children online—setting up a clash between tech giants as Meta Platforms Inc. lobbies for the new requirements.

Legislators in Alaska, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah are drafting proposals that would require app stores to verify user ages and obtain a parent’s permission for teen downloads, according to lawmakers and advocates. Proposals in Congress seek similar provisions.

Meta and some online safety advocates are pitching the app store bills as an alternative to state laws requiring individual social ...