55% of parents chose the age of 16 as a cut-off for requiring parents’ consent for downloading apps when confronted with three options. — AFP Relaxnews
A national US survey reveals that an overwhelming majority of American parents would approve of a potential law requiring that children under 16 have their consent in order to download applications. The survey, which reveals growing concerns about young people’s online safety, also supports Meta’s call for such a parental control law on a national level.
Nearly 80% of parents would be willing to support a potential law that would see children younger than 16 have to seek approval from their guardians for downloading an app. The survey,* conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Meta Group, showed participating parents with Democratic (81%) and Republican (79%) leanings felt similarly. The high percentage of parents supporting the idea transcends political divides, underlining a shared concern for children's online safety.
The majority of parents (55%) consider 16 to be an appropriate cut-off age for requiring parental consent for app downloads, choosing this age over both 13 and 18. Once again, consistency seen among both Democrats (54%) and Republicans (56%) highlights a desire among parents to protect teenagers while recognizing their growing maturity.
More than three quarters of parents (76%) prefer app stores to individual apps as a simpler and safer way of approving app downloads for their children. This preference was noted across the political spectrum. The same proportion of parents (76%) also trust app stores more than individual apps to securely manage the personal data needed to verify parental consent.
This survey is in line with Meta’s call in November for a national US law that would require app stores to obtain parental consent when their child downloads an app. Meta's proposal would force app stores to implement parental controls, rather than putting the onus on social networks. – AFP Relaxnews
*Methodology: This survey was conducted from November 13 to 17 among a sample of 2019 American parents with at least one child under the age of 18.
