Utah

On March 26, 2025, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed into law SB 142, the App Store Accountability Act (the “Act”), enacting the country’s first state law that requires app store providers to verify the age of all users and places obligations on app developers. An “app store provider” is defined as “a person that owns, operates, or controls an app store that allows users in [Utah] to download apps onto a mobile device.” A “developer” is defined as “a person that owns or controls an app made available through the app store in the state.”

The law goes into effect on May 7, 2025, and the obligations on app store providers and developers are not effective until May 6, 2026. Some key provisions are outlined below.Continue Reading Utah Enacts App Store Accountability Act

On March 7, Utah repealed and replaced its Social Media Regulation Act, which had previously been challenged in a pair of lawsuits by NetChoice and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.  The replacement legislation is spread across two enacted bills, SB 194 and HB 464.  SB 194 contains the bulk of the legislation’s general provisions, while HB 464 includes a private right of action for certain harms associated with a minor’s use of algorithmically curated social media. We summarize below some of the key features of the new legislation, which will go into effect on October 1, 2024.Continue Reading Utah Repeals and Replaces Social Media Regulation Act

Utah appears poised to be the next state with a comprehensive privacy law on its books, following California, Virginia, and Colorado.  On March 2nd, the Utah House of Representatives voted unanimously to approve an amended version of the legislative proposal, and the Senate concurred with the House amendment on the following day.  Formalities are now being completed to send the bill to Governor Spencer Cox for signature.

The Utah Consumer Privacy Act (“UCPA”) provides for consumer rights and responsibilities for controllers and processors.  Although the bill generally tracks the comprehensive privacy law passed in Virginia last year, the VCDPA, there are some notable differences.  Key provisions in the bill include the following:
Continue Reading Utah Legislature Passes Comprehensive Privacy Bill