11:57 AM EDT, 05/23/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Apple ( AAPL ) Chief Executive Tim Cook called Texas Governor Greg Abbott last week, asking him to change or veto a new bill that would require app stores to verify the age of users and link minors' accounts to their parents, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing unnamed people familiar with the call.

Despite Apple's ( AAPL ) efforts, the bill passed the Texas legislature with veto-proof support. "The Governor will thoughtfully review this legislation, as he does with any legislation sent to his desk," a spokesperson for Abbott was quoted as saying. To push back, Apple ( AAPL ) has hired more lobbyists and funded ads against the bill, the report added.

The law, dubbed App Store accountability law, would make Apple ( AAPL ) and similar tech companies responsible for confirming a device owner's age and notifying parents when a child wants to download an app.

"If enacted, app marketplaces will be required to collect and keep sensitive personal identifying information for every Texan who wants to download an app, even if it's an app that simply provides weather updates or sports scores," an Apple ( AAPL ) spokesman was quoted as saying.

The bill is part of a broader wave of age-verification laws being introduced across the US, the report added.

Apple ( AAPL ) didn't immediately reply to MT Newswires' request for comment.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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