Who should protect kids online? | Joel Thayer & Chris Marchese

Who should protect kids online? | Joel Thayer & Chris Marchese

From Defending Ideas by Sutherland Institute

May 19, 2026 · 57 min · Season 1 · Episode 147

About this episode

The episode discusses the legal and constitutional questions surrounding the protection of children online and app store accountability.

As lawmakers debate how to protect children online, a major legal and constitutional question is emerging: should app stores be required to verify users’ ages and involve parents before minors download apps? On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn is joined by Joel Thayer, president of the Digital Progress Institute , Chris Marchese, founder and co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center , and Sutherland Institute Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan for a thoughtful discussion about parental rights, free speech, consumer protection, and the growing debate over App Store accountability laws. Their conversation explores the tension between protecting children online and preserving constitutional freedoms in the digital age. Show notes: Why states are right on app store age laws The case for app store age verification to protect kids online FAQ: Utah’s app store age verification bill App store regulations are necessary, constitutional, and popular A deeper look at Utah voters’ support for requiring app stores to verify age Congress should follow Utah’s lead on protecting kids online with app store law Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by…

People in this episode

Host: Nic Dunn

Guests: Joel Thayer, Chris Marchese

Topics covered

  • online safety
  • children protection
  • app store regulations
  • parental rights
  • free speech
  • constitutional law

Keywords

  • children online safety
  • app store age verification
  • parental rights
  • free speech
  • consumer protection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Digital Progress Institute, NetChoice Litigation Center, Sutherland Institute

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