Lobbyists for Google and Apple are engaged in a massive effort to pressure state lawmakers to pass child online safety laws that would protect the tech giants from certain lawsuits related to age verification requirements, POLITICO has learned.
The scale and scope of the ambitious initiative, which has not been previously reported, are outlined in a draft, internal emails and interviews with seven people with knowledge of the effort, some of whom were granted anonymity to discuss details of private conversations. The virtual standoff over children’s online safety in Washington has caused these tech giants to focus their efforts on statehouses across the country.
The lobbying battle is unfolding as Big Tech faces hundreds of lawsuits from individuals who say they or their children were harmed by the platforms’ design. Meanwhile, states are passing age verification laws, opening the door to new lawsuits against tech companies.
But it’s Apple and Google’s proposals that are sparking backlash from some in the tech security community.
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