New York CNN —

Google and Apple will soon be required to verify app store users’ ages in Texas, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the rule into law on Tuesday.

The Texas App Store Accountability Act follows similar legislation that passed in Utah earlier this year, although it requires the app stores to collect even more user data. Enforcement of the Texas law is set to begin at the start of next year — giving app stores several months to determine how they will collect this information. The bill was passed with super-majority approval by the Texas House and Senate.

It’s part of a broader push for regulation to better protect kids online, with lawmakers and some social media companies arguing that app stores should serve as centralized clearinghouses for verifying users’ ages. A handf

See Full Page