SC parents need more tools to keep children safe online

Children are a gift from God. As parents, one of our greatest responsibilities is to protect

them from harm. That is why now, more than ever, South Carolina’s leaders need to

work together to help protect children from predators and harmful content that target

children online. It is time to pass the App Store Accountability Act (H.3405).

At Palmetto Family, we believe all mankind is created by God in His image. The value of

even a single human soul is immeasurable and worth more than the entire world. That

is why we have consistently advocated for policies that protect families and children. In

the past, we have successfully worked to create greater restrictions on pornography and

stricter laws for sexual predators.

But our work is not finished!

Now is the time to turn our attention to the devices in which—through the touch of a

button—our children can access violent, sexual, and inappropriate content. Childhood is

a crucial time for a developing mind. Is this the type of content we want our children to

see?

Roughly 95% of teens ages 13-17 actively use social media, and more than a third use

it almost constantly. That has made it impossible for parents to monitor everything their

child sees. Consider the fact that kids have an average of 40 different apps on their

devices. Our children are overwhelmed with content that parents—even the most

proactive—have little control over. Taken together, this undermines parents’ ability to

protect their children and raise them according to their family values, posing a direct

threat to families across our state and country.

Fortunately, South Carolina has started prioritizing children’s online safety, and

numerous bills are under consideration to address this problem. However, not all

solutions are created equally.

We must prioritize policies that are pro-family and empower parents. The last thing we

need is a new law increasing the size of government. God intended for parents to raise

children, not the government. Family and faith-centered solutions are best suited to

ending this crisis.

That is why we at Palmetto Family strongly support the App Store Accountability

Act (H. 3405), a bill awaiting action in the South Carolina General Assembly. This bill

would mandate that app store providers verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent

before allowing minors to download or use apps. This would give parents a crucial

opportunity to determine whether the app will expose their child to inappropriate

content.

This is a commonsense approach. Children already need to obtain parental permission

to do many things. Why should downloading an app or surfing the internet be any

different? If anything, this is exactly the place where parents need more oversight—not

less. By mandating that app store providers verify users’ ages and obtain parental

consent before allowing minors to download or use apps, parents across the Palmetto

State will be empowered to make decisions that best suit their individual family and

child’s needs.

Polling shows that 84% of South Carolina voters—and 83% of parents with children

under 18—support requiring app stores to obtain parental approval before teens can

download apps. In fact, three out of four voters say it would be easier to provide that

approval in one place rather than in each individual app. That’s exactly what H. 3405

would allow parents to do—approve or deny app downloads from a single dashboard

instead of chasing down permissions across dozens of platforms.

This law would create an easy, one-stop shop for parents to approve or disapprove of

apps requested by their children. Big tech companies like Apple and Google can

already implement parental approval safeguards on their app stores. Requiring this

safety measure would empower parents and protect children, all at little or no cost to

these companies.

The family is a sacred thing. We believe laws should promote, protect, and strengthen

individuals and families. H. 3405 will ensure parents’ rights, and the safety of our future

generation will come first.

 We should not wait any longer.

This op-ed originally appeared in the Charleston Post and Courier on Sunday, April 27, 2025

Randy Page serves as executive vice president of Palmetto Family Alliance. He serves

on the board of Exceptional SC and recently served as vice chair of the South Carolina

Public Charter School District Board of Trustees. Page previously served in senior staff

roles for Gov. David Beasley, Lt. Gov. Bob Peeler, and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.