Protecting Children from Apple’s Harmful App Store Practices, with Melissa McKay

Big Tech has crossed a dangerous line, and one mom is fighting back. Melissa McKay and her team at the Digital Childhood Institute have filed a sweeping 50-page complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. The complaint accuses Apple of endangering children through deceptive App Store practices, including:

• Marketing explicit content to minors
• Allowing data collection without parental consent
• Billing parents for unauthorized in-app purchases

Melissa is not just an advocate. She’s a mother of five who turned her concern for her own kids into a nationwide movement. From launching the first campaigns demanding App Store accountability to helping pass Utah’s groundbreaking App Store Accountability Act in 2025, she has become one of the strongest voices in America for online child safety.

On this week’s episode of The SoCon Report, I sit down with Melissa to talk about this landmark case, why it matters for every family, and what you can do to protect your children online.

Here are just a few of the questions we dig into:

• What violations does the complaint allege, and how do they put kids at risk?
• How are children being trapped in exploitative contracts through apps?
• What immediate steps can parents and policymakers take to make the internet safer for kids?

This is a conversation every parent, grandparent, and policymaker needs to hear.

Join the pledge to PRAY, VOTE, and ENGAGE at https://familypolicyalliance.com/pledge.

Discover the Family Policy Council nearest you at https://familypolicyalliance.com/allies.

Learn more about Melissa and her work at https://www.digitalchildhoodinstitute.org.