The proposed bill establishes new requirements for age verification and parental consent for application stores in South Dakota, aiming to enhance the protection of minors in the digital space. It introduces definitions and provisions that mandate application store providers to verify the age of individuals creating accounts. If a user is identified as a minor, their account must be linked to a parent account, and verifiable parental consent is required before allowing minors to download or purchase applications. The bill also outlines the responsibilities of application store providers to notify account holders of significant changes and to provide necessary disclosures to parents prior to obtaining consent.

Additionally, the bill imposes obligations on developers to verify age data and parental consent when users access applications, while prohibiting the sharing of age category data with third parties. It allows minors or their parents to pursue civil actions against providers or developers for violations, and grants the attorney general the authority to enforce compliance and seek penalties. Importantly, the bill protects developers from liability if they act in good faith based on the age data provided by application stores. The act is set to take effect on December 1, 2026, providing time for stakeholders to adapt to the new regulations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 02/03/2026: 37-24-6
House State Affairs Engrossed, 02/18/2026: 37-24-6