Apple launches new age verification tools for App Store compliance
Apple is launching new age verification tools to comply with child safety laws in the U.S. and abroad. The company informed developers on Tuesday it is expanding its “age assurance” tools, including an updated Declared Age Range API now available for beta testing. The tools let developers obtain a user’s age range without accessing personal information like date of birth. In Brazil, developers can use the Declared Age Range API to get a user’s age category if the user or their parent/guardian chooses to share it.
Starting today, Apple will block users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore from downloading apps rated 18+ until they confirm they are adults. The App Store will perform age confirmation automatically in those countries, though developers may still have separate compliance requirements. In Brazil specifically, games containing loot boxes will have their age ratings updated to 18+. This update addresses lawmakers’ beliefs that gambling-like mechanisms should not be available to children.
In the U.S., new users in Utah and Louisiana will soon have their age categories shared with developers’ apps through the Declared Age Range API. Apple stated it has expanded its other tools around age ratings and permissions to meet its compliance obligations. The company provided specific details on the new capabilities. “New signals are now available through the Declared Age Range API, including whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to the user and if the user is required to share their age range,” reads the Apple blog post.
The API will also notify developers if they need to get a parent or guardian’s permission for significant app updates for a child. The need for a technical solution arose as more governments created laws to block or restrict apps like social media to adults 18 and up. Last October, Apple worked to comply with similar age-assurance requirements in Texas. In December, Apple put some of its Texas plans on hold because the state’s law is being challenged in court.
Last year, Apple updated its age ratings system with more granular age ranges and added new questions for developers submitting apps for review. These tools allow developers to obtain a user’s age range without gaining access to the user’s personal information, like their date of birth. The company informed developers on Tuesday that it is expanding its set of “age assurance” tools, including an updated Declared Age Range API now available for beta testing. Apple is launching new tools to comply with the growing number of age verification laws both in the U.S. and abroad.