Representative Josh Gottheimer introduced H.R. 8250, dubbed the Parents Decide Act, on April 13. The bill would force every operating-system vendor in the United States—starting with Apple and Google—to collect a user’s birth date before allowing a new device to be activated. Verification would apply to all users, not just minors, turning age proof into a prerequisite for device ownership today.

The nationwide legislation mandates Section 2(a)(1) to require birth‑date entry at setup and Section 2(a)(3) to let any app query the operating system for that data. In practice, Apple and Google would become de‑facto age brokers for the entire U.S. app ecosystem.

Critics warn the bill creates a national identity layer with no clear retention limits, minimal oversight and a safe‑harbor for the duopoly that builds it. The Federal Trade Commission would draft privacy rules after enactment, leaving the architecture undefined today. By making age verification a condition of device use, the law fundamentally reshapes privacy expectations for hundreds of millions of Americans.