Utah's Online Safety Law: App Stores to Verify User Ages

Utah's New Online Safety Law

• 🏛️ Utah's governor has signed a first-of-its-kind law that mandates app stores like Apple and Google verify user ages.
• 🔑 The law places the responsibility for age verification on the app stores, rather than individual apps.
• 🔒 Under the new legislation, users under 18 will require parental permission to use certain apps, and parents must consent to in-app purchases.

Industry Reactions and Criticisms

• 📱 While Meta, X, and Snap have applauded the law, Apple and Google have not yet commented.
• ⚠️ Some argue that while the law is a step in the right direction, the apps themselves should be held more responsible for the content they host and the users they target.
• 💰 The argument is made that if apps were more motivated by profit, they would implement stricter age verification measures, as the technology exists.

OpenAI Funding Round

• 🚀 OpenAI is reportedly nearing the completion of a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank.
• 📈 This round would value the company at $300 billion, nearly double its previous valuation.
• 💰 If completed, this would be the largest funding round of all time, with potential investors including Brad Gerstner, Thoma Bravo, and Peter Thiel's Founders Fund.