Meta has released research conducted by Ipsos Australia Public Affairs that delves into parents’ views on app stores’ role in overseeing parental approval for app downloads for teens. The research comes at a time when the Australian government is considering legislation to ban social media access for children under 16.

According to the study, a significant 82% of Australian parents surveyed support a law requiring parental approval for children under 16 to download apps. Furthermore, 70% of parents believe that providing approval in one place, such as an app store, would be easier than giving approvals for each individual application.

Trust in app stores to securely handle the personal data required to verify parental approval was expressed by 75% of the parents surveyed. However, the majority of parents (67%) believe they should be the ones to decide if social media is right for their kids, rather than a government ban.

Meta's stance is that parental consent and age verification should occur at the app store and operating system level and should be required under Australian law. The company suggests using existing systems for age sharing and app store purchase approval, instead of creating new ones that could pose a burden and privacy risk for parents and teens.

Antigone Davis, global vice president of safety at Meta, said, "We respect any age limitations the government wants to introduce for social media use. However, what’s missing is a deeper discussion on how we implement protections, otherwise we risk making ourselves feel better, like we have taken action, but teens and parents will not find themselves in a better place. The research shows parents want to be involved in their teens’ online lives and want to have a say in determining what’s appropriate for their individual teens. We strongly believe parental approval and age verification at the operating system and app store level will provide a simple and effective solution, while also reducing the burden and privacy risk for parents and teens."