Overview
- Grindr announced support in a company blog post by government affairs lead Joe Hack, reiterating the service is 18+ and outlining existing safeguards such as age gates, device bans, human moderation and AI tools.
- The App Store Accountability Act, introduced by Rep. John James and Sen. Mike Lee, would require app stores to verify a user’s age category and obtain parental consent for minors before downloads or in‑app purchases.
- House Energy and Commerce considered age‑verification proposals this week as part of a wider package of federal online‑safety bills, including the Kids Online Safety Act.
- Meta, Snap, X and Pinterest have voiced support for the app‑store approach, with Pinterest CEO Bill Ready urging Congress to adopt a single, privacy‑preserving system for families.
- Civil‑liberties groups warn the model could expand surveillance and censorship, pointing to UK ID checks as a cautionary example, and legal uncertainty persists after the Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving Grindr in October.