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On Wednesday, Utah became the first state in the country to pass legislation mandating that app stores verify users ages and get parental consent for certain activity on minors accounts. The controversial App Store Accountability Act, which will now head to the desk of Utah Governor Spencer Cox, has pitted app store giants Google and Apple against social media companies like Meta and is part of a wave of similar proposals that have been introduced in a number of states, including Texas and Alabama. The bill received broad support from the social media platforms that have borne the brunt of criticism for failing to protect children online. Those platforms have long argued that app stores themselves ought to take on more responsibility to shield kids from harmful apps. In a statement provided on behalf of Meta, Snap, and X, a Meta spokesperson applauded Utah for putting parents in charge with the passage of the law. “Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their childs age and grant permission for them to download apps in a privacy-preserving way, the statement reads. The app store is the best place for it. App stores, of course, see things differently. Google declined Fast Companys request for comment, and Apple didnt respond. But Chamber of Progress, a tech advocacy group that represents both companies, has come out forcefully in opposition of the legislation. In public testimony and writing platforms, the group has accused the bill of infringing on the First Amendment rights of Utah’s citizens and violating their privacy by forcing app stores to collect sensitive data in order to verify ages. Chamber of Progress has argued the law would require companies to collect even more data than they already do. In a statement to Fast Company, Chamber of Progresss government relations senior director Robert Singleton suggested a legal battle would inevitably follow if the bill is signed into law. Indeed, another law in Utah that attempted to require social media platforms to verify users ages was blocked in court last year on First Amendment grounds. Similar social media age-verification laws in other states have also been blocked, but that has not deterred states, including Utah, from approaching the issue from a new angle. And yet, Singleton predicted, The same thing is likely to happen here. This bill invades everyones privacy and forces even adults to share sensitive data just to use their own devices. Utah state representative Jim Dunnigan, who sponsored the bill in the State House, says parent groups were a significant force in getting the legislation over the finish line. This is at least partly driven by parents who are concerned about the adult contacts that their children have available to them, he says. Parents arent always there, and their kids are curious. Were trying to protect them until they get older. One leading child advocacy group that has been circulating the bill across the country as model legislation is the Digital Childhood Alliance. In a statement, the alliances founding chair Melissa McKay said, The momentum behind this issue is growing, and todays victory is a testament to the urgent need for accountability from the platforms that shape the digital lives of children. In addition to requiring app stores to verify ages and get parental consent every time a child wants to download or purchase something on an app, the bill would require app stores to share age categories and consent data with developers. It would also enable minors or their parents who have been harmed to file a civil suit against app stores. Utahs governor was supportive of the social media age-verification law that was blocked, and according to Rep. Dunnigan, Governor Cox is expected to support this new bill as well. If that happens, it seems unlikely the app store giants will go down without a fight. A recent investigation by the Wall Street Journal revealed how Apples lobbying blitz in Louisiana helped kill a similar attempt to regulate the App Store. In the meantime, the company appears eager to send a message that its prepared to implement changes without regulation. Last week, in apparent anticipation of the laws passage, Apple announced a slew of new child-safety offerings, including giving parents the ability to share their childrens ages in the App Storeinformation that is then passed on to app developers. Thats a welcome step, says Rep. Dunnigan, but we need consistency across all platforms, and thats what this bill tries to accomplish.
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E-Commerce
In recent weeks, as President Trump has made huge cuts to federal programs, let go of thousands of federal workers under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and given U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) more authority, we’ve seen tons of criticism of the president’s executive orders. Even some who voted for Trump, but have lost their jobs as a result of Trump’s firings, have admitted they now regret their decision and have turned on the president. Despite all that, the president’s approval rating is going up among Gen Z, according to a new poll from AtlasIntel conducted between February 24 and February 27. Overall, the president’s rating remains largely unchanged. In the survey of 2,849 U.S. adults, Trump’s overall approval rating was 50.3%a slight gain from a poll taken days after he took office for the second time, when it was 50.1%. However, the evaluations varied greatly by age group. The survey showed Trump gaining points among the Gen Z group of people ages 18 to 29: 41.3% approved of him in the previous poll taken days after the inauguration. In the new poll, the number is 52.7%. Men felt more favorably than women, according to the poll, with 53.8% of men approving of the president, as opposed to 46.9% of women. Millennials felt differently, with 77.2% saying they disapprove of the president. The survey didn’t offer a clear explanation for why Trump is gaining popularity among Gen Z. However, when asked about the president’s policy proposals, more respondents overall approved of plans like “mass deportations of undocumented immigrants” and “starting negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.” He gained 8 points on the first proposal, and 9 on the latter. Trump hasn’t actually deported more illegal immigrants than President Biden. But he has ramped up ICE’s authority. And despite pitching himself as the “honest broker” of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it’s worth noting that in February, just one day after AtlasIntel’s poll closed, Trump held a contentious meeting in the Oval Office with Ukraine’s President Zelensky in which the two sparred over negotiations. In the recent survey, Trump also gained 4 points in his proposals to roll back “federal protections for gender identity procedures.” Trump has given executive orders that would make it harder, if not impossible for transgender youth to receive gender reassignment surgery or medications that support their true gender identity. The plans are terrifying for many in the transgender community, including those who have already been living as a certain gender who depend on certain medications, as well as parents of transgender kids. While Gen Z’s reasoning may not be entirely clear, one thing we do know is that young Gen Z white men voted overwhelmingly for Trump (67%). At the same time, many young men have felt threatened by shifting gender roles, including rights for women and LGBTQ+ individuals, which far-right influencers have framed as a turn away from traditional masculinity. In a 2023 survey, young men said they increasingly felt they experienced gender discrimination. Nearly half of all men ages 18 to 29 identified with feeling discriminated against, more than any other age group.
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E-Commerce
Mental health resources have become a crucial corporate benefit among employers who are looking to recruit the best talent, with more and more companies now offering access to therapy and wellness apps. Even so, many workers report feeling like they don’t have the support they are seekingparticularly as they encounter rising levels of stress in and out of the workplace. In a new report from mental-health-benefits provider Lyra Health, 89% of the 7,500 employees surveyed said they had faced at least one mental health challenge over the past year, citing stress and anxiety as the biggest issues. In many cases, work was the leading source of their stressnamely, overwhelming workloads and staff shortagesand 73% of employees believed that those work-related mental health issues were, in turn, impacting their performance in the workplace. There are, of course, other factors driving these mental health challenges, from the political climate to financial stress. Women were more likely to cite caregiving responsibilities as a reason for their stressthough in comparison to their male counterparts, they also reported higher levels of anxiety and mental health struggles on the whole. Despite all thisnot to mention, the growing investment in mental health benefits across corporate workplacesmany employees claimed to have limited access to the support they need or want. While the majority of workers said their employers care about their mental health and take stock of their well-being, only 29% of respondents think their workplace provides adequate mental health resources. (Of the 500 HR and benefits leaders who were surveyed, however, 45% argued that their companies offer those resources.) More than half of younger workers are likely to switch jobs in the next year to find more comprehensive mental health support, with millennials being the most likely to take advantage of those resources. But nearly all employees surveyed said they strongly consider mental health benefits when looking for jobs. There are signs that employees don’t always use mental health benefits even when they are available to them; also, that there can be a disconnect between which benefits employers typically offer and what their workers might be looking for. But companies have also seen the effects of securing these benefits for their workers: 81% of HR and benefits leaders said that mental health offerings had boosted their company’s reputation and made it a more appealing opportunity for job candidates. It’s clear that workers are clamoring for more mental health supportand that along with fertility and family-building benefits, these resources can be a real differentiator for employers who are looking to attract and retain top talent.
Category:
E-Commerce
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