The proposed bill in South Dakota mandates age verification for users accessing applications from online application stores. It introduces a new chapter in Title 26, defining terms such as "age category," "application store," and "verifiable parental consent." Application store providers are required to verify the age of users when they create accounts, ensuring minors are linked to a parent account and that parental consent is obtained for access to certain applications or in-app purchases. The bill also outlines developers' responsibilities in assessing whether their applications may be accessed by children and requires them to inform application store providers of significant changes to their applications.

Additionally, the bill establishes penalties for violations, allowing parents of harmed minors to pursue civil actions against application store providers, with potential damages for each violation. It protects developers who rely on age verification data from application store providers, ensuring they are not liable if they comply with the bill's requirements. The Attorney General is tasked with creating rules for age verification methods, emphasizing the protection of personal data related to age verification. Overall, the legislation aims to enhance the safety of minors in the digital space through appropriate age verification measures.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/30/2025: 37-24-6