In the fight to protect children online, we’re told there are only two paths: government-mandated digital IDs and parental consent gates (like the App Store Accountability Act), or letting Big Tech run wild. But there’s a third option—one that actually works: voluntary, robust, privacy-preserving parental controls built by platforms and chosen by families.
That’s the future we should demand.
Instead, Congress is flirting with a dangerous distraction: the App Store Freedom Act (ASFA), introduced by Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL). On the surface, it sounds libertarian—break up Apple and Google’s “monopolies,” force sideloading, open the gates to third-party app stores. But peel back the rhetoric, and you’ll see a bill that doesn’t just fail to protect kids, it actively endangers them.
ASFA’s Core Promise: “Freedom” That Kids Can’t Handle
ASFA forces Apple and Google to:
- Allow sideloading of apps from anywhere.
- Let users set third-party app stores as default.
- Permit deletion of pre-installed parental control apps like Screen Time or Family Link.
This isn’t freedom for parents.
This is freedom for predators, scammers, and malware—with children as the easiest targets.
How ASFA Creates a Wild West for Kids
1. Sideloading = No Guardrails
“A user… shall [be able to] install a third-party app or app store through means other than the app store owned or controlled by the covered company.” — ASFA Sec. 2(a)(1)(B)
- Today: Every app on the App Store or Google Play is reviewed, rated, and scanned for malware, CSAM, and dark patterns.
- Under ASFA: A 12-year-old can download a deepfake porn generator, secret chat app, or crypto scam directly from a Discord link.
→ No age rating. No parental prompt. No malware scan.
Real-world example: Jailbroken iPhones already host “secret” apps for sextortion and drug deals. ASFA legalizes and democratizes this for every child.
2. Third-Party App Stores? No Safety Required
“Choose a third-party app or app store as a default.” — ASFA Sec. 2(a)(1)(A)
ASFA does not require third-party stores to:
- Verify user age
- Enforce parental consent
- Display age ratings
- Filter content or scan for malware
A new “freedom” app store with 10M users could become “covered” under the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA), but ASFA forces Apple to let kids default to it.
→ That store could distribute unrated, unfiltered, predatory apps with zero oversight.
3. Kids Can Delete Parental Controls
“Hide or delete an app… provided or pre-installed by the covered company.” — ASFA Sec. 2(a)(1)(C)
- This includes:
- Apple Screen Time
- Google Family Link
- Digital Wellbeing
- A savvy teen deletes the control app.
→ Parents lose all visibility. No app limits. No download approvals. No screen time reports.
ASFA not only allows this but mandates it.
4. No Link to Child Safety Systems
- The App Store Accountability Act (ASAA) requires a real-time “signal” so apps know: “This user is 14—parental consent needed.”
- ASFA has zero integration with this system.
- Sideloaded apps? No signal.
- Third-party stores? No guarantee of compliance.
Result: A gambling app sideloaded by a 13-year-old never asks for mom’s permission.
ASFA vs. ASAA: A False Dichotomy
| ASFA (Cammack) | ASAA (James/Lee) | |
|---|---|---|
| Governing goal | “Freedom” / break up app stores | Government verification + parental consent |
| Result for parents | Loss of oversight | Loss of privacy |
| Safety standards | None | Yes — but government-enforced |
| Government’s role | Mandate chaos | Mandate tracking |
The real conflict?
ASFA breaks the very system ASAA is trying to build.
Sideloading and unregulated app stores render ASAA’s consent gates meaningless.
The Real Solution Isn’t Complicated
We don’t need Congress attempting to micromanage the App Store. What families need are parental control tools that are easy to use, easy to find, and optional, without government ID systems or federal “digital babysitter” legislation.
The reality is, the tools already exist. Parents can currently choose from a range of options like Apple Screen Time, Google Family Link, and third-party services such as Bark, Canopy, or Qustodio. The problem isn’t that we lack tools. The problem is that app stores bury them. The platforms make these features difficult to locate, overly complicated, or intentionally hidden behind multiple settings and submenus.
Instead of requiring parents to get government permission slips or creating a sideloading free-for-all, Congress should focus on reforms that actually help families. That means requiring app stores to prominently display parental controls, banning apps from hiding age ratings or subscription disclosures, and penalizing platforms that design features specifically to bypass parents.
The goal should be simple: empower parents, don’t replace them.
The Bottom Line
ASFA doesn’t empower parents. It disarms them.
It turns the internet into a lawless bazaar where kids are the most vulnerable customers.
We don’t need government permission slips (ASAA) or government-mandated chaos (ASFA). We need platforms to build better tools—and parents to use them.
Let’s protect kids.
Let’s protect freedom.
Reject the App Store Freedom Act.
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