App Store: Several US states require age verification
Texas and soon California are beginning to regulate child and youth protection for apps more strictly. "Age gating" also affects Google.
App Store icon against a cloudy background: Child protection is stepping up a gear in the USA.
(Image: Tada Images / Shutterstock)
Apple's App Store will now require age verification. This is now planned in two American states. Corresponding laws have been passed and will come into force by early 2026. In Texas, anyone creating a new Apple account then will have to confirm whether they are 18 years old or older. However, this tiger is currently still toothless; it is not intended that proof in the form of an ID card or driver's license will be necessary for this.
The question of birth date
Since, in addition to Apple, developers must also theoretically carry out the verification, the company has come up with an alternative: If the new user is a minor, they may only be registered within the scope of Family Sharing—they must be part of such a group. With the help of the so-called Declared-Age-Range API, Apple can also transmit the age range to app providers without revealing the actual date of birth.
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Apple plans to roll out the new feature in the coming months, the company writes. It is not possible to block an app for Texas; Apple always operates its app stores on a country-specific basis. “Furthermore, parents can revoke consent for minors to continue using an app. Further details, including additional technical documentation, will be published later this fall,” Apple explains to its developers.
Californian laws
In California, the rules are slightly different. Children should still have the option to download apps without their parents' consent. Here too, no ID card needs to be presented. Instead, the legislator hopes that parents will set up the account for the children themselves when they put a new device into operation. Here too, “age gating” will apply. There will be four age categories across the App Store: Under 13, 13 to 16, 16 to 18, and, as before, adult.
Here, Apple probably only needs to ensure that parents have the option to define the age of the children. This can then be passed on to developers via the Declared-Age-Range API. The new conditions for Texas and California apply to all operators of app store-like offerings, including Google with its Play Store.
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