Alabama App Store Accountability Act (HB 161)
Alabama, United States- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- Became Law
Alabama's app store law goes further than the others: every existing account must be age-verified, not just new ones.
Latest update
Signed by Governor Ivey
Current position
Signed; takes effect Jan 1, 2027
What it does
Signed February 17, 2026, and effective January 1, 2027. App stores must verify age at account creation, link minors to a parent, and get parental consent for downloads and purchases. The twist is retroactivity: stores must verify the age of every existing account in Alabama by October 1, 2027. Nobody is grandfathered in.
Why it matters
The other app store laws card you at signup. Alabama goes back and cards everyone who already has a phone. That converts the entire installed base of devices in the state into age-verified, identity-linked accounts within a year.
Our take
Retroactive verification is the mask slipping. This was sold as protecting kids opening new accounts, and it ends with every adult in Alabama proving who they are to keep using the phone they already own.
Timeline
Deadline to age-verify every existing account
UpcomingSigned by Governor Ivey
LatestVotes
- House — Final passage (103 to 0)
- Senate — Final passage, as amended (35 to 0)