Backed in the user’s safety and privacy, the company Google This Friday announced its refusal to integrate an age verifier into application stores, a campaign that Meta has driven to prevent minors can acquire on Google Play or the App Store applications not consistent with their age.
The proposal made by Facebook leaders seeks that each user in application stores perform a verification process through documentation or other methods, in order to limit access to minors to tools, applications and pages not in line with their profile.
Before the Meta InitiativeGoogle spoke against, considering that this measure would imply that each user shares private data, which would be stored by companies, and that, in case of revealing, they could endanger the public.
“I would require sharing detailed data on age ranges with millions of developers who do not need them,” said Google.
The company argued in a blog note that this measure would put children and adolescents at risk, and that its consequences would be difficult to anticipate. In addition, he pointed out that this solution presents multiple edges that would prevent him from fulfilling his goal.
Another of the companies that spoke before a similar measure was Apple, highlighting that “only a small part of the applications requires an age verification” and that “the right place” to apply this type of control is limited “to the corresponding websites and applications.”
The pronouncement of both companies occurs in the midst of discussions in the United States and the European Union on including an age verifier in application stores. Companies explained that, although they share the objective of strengthening child security on the web, the measure could put minors at risk.
In statements to The Verge site, Peter Ajemian, spoke spokesman, stressed that, if laws such as Texas are approved, “Application platforms will be obliged to collect and conserve confidential personal information of each person who wishes to download an application, even if it is an application that simply provides updates of time or sports results.”
The age verification within the stores would lead to Apple and Google sharing information with application developers about the age of users accessing them, as well as other data that could endanger them.
Google also stressed that the measure would allow “application developers avoid their responsibilities” regarding content suitable for different audiences.
In addition, he questioned the goal promoted by considering that it does not constitute a complete solution, since “computers or other devices commonly shared in families would not be covered.”
Meta campaign
The campaign was launched by goal and seeks a “European regulation that requires the verification of age and parental consent in the App Store”, with the aim of “better protect” minors. This initiative could expand globally.
“Adolescents use 44 applications per week. The verification of the age at the level of the App Store would then simplify the life of the parents, who would only have to confirm their child’s age once, instead of doing so for each application,” says the Instagram creative company on its portal.