When I first heard about the “App Store Accountability Act,” I thought it sounded pretty good at first glance.
The group pushing it is called “The Digital Childhood Alliance,” and their messaging hit every nerve: parents need help, app stores are failing us and Big Tech won’t protect our children.
And I almost fell for it.
But then I discovered something that changed everything. The organization claiming to represent concerned parents like us is quietly funded by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The same company whose own internal research proved its platforms devastate teenage girls’ mental health is now bankrolling campaigns that blame everyone except itself.
The 3 lies parents are falling for
Lie #1: ‘Parents are powerless against Big Tech’
The Digital Childhood Alliance wants you to believe that monitoring your child’s app downloads is an “impossible burden” only government can solve. But here’s the truth: you already have complete control. When your 12-year-old asks for Snapchat, you can say no. When they beg for TikTok, you can refuse. News flash: Instagram can’t install itself on your child’s phone. It requires your permission, your payment method, your Wi-Fi and your device.
Lie #2: ‘App stores are the problem’
Here’s the playbook: Meta creates the harmful content. Meta designs algorithms that research shows damage our children’s mental health. But the group they quietly support behind the scenes (The Digital Childhood Alliance) wants laws that regulate Apple and Google instead. In stark contrast, when states like Utah and Idaho targeted pornography sites directly, those sites had to verify ages before serving explicit content. But Meta’s bill forces Apple to handle paperwork for Meta’s harmful products while Meta faces zero accountability.
Lie #3: ‘This bill protects children’
The App Store Accountability Act accomplishes nothing except creating expensive verification systems that Meta’s competitors must build and pay for. If you’re an engaged parent monitoring your child’s phone, this bill gives you zero new control. If you’re “checked out,” you’ll just click “approve” when your kid asks to download an app without reading anything. And if your child accesses social media through a friend’s phone or web browser, this bill does nothing at all. It’s a farce.
The uncomfortable truth about Moms for Liberty
Here’s what hurts: Moms for Liberty has endorsed this legislation. Ashley Jones, Moms for Liberty’s legislative chairwoman in South Carolina, recently wrote that “88 percent of parents across party lines agree that app stores should be required to receive parental approval.”
That statistic comes directly from polling funded by the Digital Childhood Alliance, the Meta-backed organization. The company that broke our children’s mental health is using misleading statistics to convince conservative parents to support legislation that protects Meta from accountability. This is Meta’s brilliant strategy in action: weaponize parental anxiety to wage regulatory war against competitors while preserving their ability to serve algorithmic content to minors (fun fact — they spent $24 million in 2024 lobbying).
The choice before us
Fellow parents, we’re witnessing corporate manipulation disguised as child protection.
When your daughter struggles with body image after scrolling Instagram, that’s Meta’s algorithm at work. When children suffer unprecedented rates of depression and self-harm, that’s “The Anxious Generation” Meta created and wants to avoid fixing. But here’s what should make every parent furious: when Louisiana Sen. Jay Morris asked Digital Childhood Alliance Executive Director Casey Stefanski, “Are you funded by tech companies?” she squirmed, deflected and claimed she “didn’t feel comfortable” answering.
When Morris pressed for a simple yes or no answer, Stefanski eventually admitted they receive tech company funding but flatly refused to name which companies.
“So, you’re not going to tell us who’s actually supporting it?” Morris asked.
“No,” Stefanski replied.
It took investigative reporters to expose what Stefanski wouldn’t admit under oath: Meta is helping fund the operation.
You’re the parent. Your child lives in your home, uses devices you purchased, accesses apps you have authority to permit or prohibit. You have all the power, but only if you use it. So before you support any “child safety” legislation, ask the tough questions: Who’s really behind this? Who benefits? And why won’t they tell you where their funding comes from?
Take the phone away. Be the parent. Set the boundaries. Say no and mean it.
Because the company that broke our kids is now spending millions to convince you that someone else should fix them.