Apple updates age-verification tools for worldwide compliance

Apple is launching new tools to comply with age-verification laws in the U.S. and abroad. As part of these changes, the company will block downloads of apps rated 18+ in Brazil, Australia, and Singapore until users confirm they are adults. Apple informed developers of these expanded age assurance tools on Tuesday. While the App Store will perform this age confirmation automatically, Apple noted that developers may still have separate compliance requirements they need to meet in these markets.

To help developers navigate these shifting rules, Apple is updating its Declared Age Range API. This tool allows developers to obtain a user’s age category without accessing personal information, such as a specific date of birth. According to Apple, “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” to help developers manage compliance. The company also noted that the API will inform developers if they need to obtain permission from a parent or guardian for significant app updates for a child.

The regulatory impact of these tools varies by region. In Brazil, games featuring loot boxes—a gambling-like mechanism that lets players spend money for a random chance at in-game rewards and that lawmakers believe shouldn’t be available to kids—will have their age ratings updated to 18+. Meanwhile, in the U.S., new users in Utah and Louisiana will soon have their age categories shared with developers via the Declared Age Range API. These rollouts follow previous compliance efforts; last October, Apple worked to comply with age-assurance requirements in Texas, but the company put those plans on hold in December as the state’s law is being challenged in court.

Why it matters

Apple is expanding its age assurance tools and restricting app downloads in specific regions to comply with an increasing number of worldwide child safety regulations. As governments worldwide implement stricter age-gating laws, platform operators face growing pressure to build technical solutions that balance regulatory compliance with user privacy.