The move puts the state at the center of a debate over whether and how to regulate smartphone use by children and teenagers.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an online child safety bill that requires Apple and Google to ensure that their app stores verify the age of users in the nation's second most populous state. Under the new law,

Texas is the latest state to adopt an age-verification law for app stores. Despite lobbying from big tech, reportedly including a personal call from Apple CEO Tim Cook, Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill that requires app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental approval for a minor to download software or make in-app purchases.