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How do I prove that I'm of legal age without showing my passport? It's simple, because there is an API.
Apple is launching new tools to comply with the growing number of user age verification laws, both in the United States and in other countries. This is not about cosmetic changes, but about reworking how the App Store and the apps themselves determine who can be given access to a particular content. In the near future, the company will begin restricting downloads of 18+ rated apps in Brazil, Australia, and Singapore, as well as introduce additional mechanisms to meet the requirements of the states of Utah and Louisiana.
Developers have already been notified about the expansion of the set of age verification tools. The updated Declared Age Range API has become available in the beta version. This interface allows the application to get the user's age category — for example, "under 13", "teenager" or "adult" — without requesting the exact date of birth and without transmitting unnecessary personal data. In fact, we are talking about a way to verify compliance with the requirements of the law without disclosing unnecessary information.
The need for such solutions has emerged against the background of stricter regulation: more and more countries are demanding that minors restrict access to social networks and services with adult content. In Brazil, for example, developers will be able to get the user's age category through the API if he or his parent agrees to transfer it. Without this consent, the application will not receive the appropriate signal.
A separate measure concerns the downloads themselves. In Australia, Brazil and Singapore, users will not be able to install apps marked 18+ until they confirm that they have reached the age of majority. The App Store itself will perform the verification, not a third-party service. At the same time, Apple emphasizes that developers may still be subject to additional local requirements, such as the obligation to implement their own control mechanisms.
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In Brazil, the changes will also affect games with loot boxes, a mechanic in which a player pays for a random in—game reward. Local regulators are increasingly considering such a model as close to gambling practices. As a result, projects with similar elements will receive an 18+ rating and will be subject to the same download restrictions.
In the United States, the innovations are addressed to Utah and Louisiana, which have their own rules on the protection of minors in the digital environment. New users in these states will be able to transfer their age category to apps via the same API. Additionally, Apple has expanded tools related to age ratings and parental permissions: now developers receive more signals about whether age restrictions apply to the user and whether parental consent is required for significant updates to children's applications.
The company has already faced similar requirements. In October, Apple began adapting the processes to the Texas age verification law, but in December some of the measures were suspended — the regulatory act is being challenged in court. In parallel, last year Apple revised the age rating system, making it more detailed, and added new questions for developers when submitting applications for moderation. The current changes logically continue this line: the company is gradually rebuilding the App Store infrastructure to meet the requirements of regulators in different countries.
Apple is launching new tools to comply with the growing number of user age verification laws, both in the United States and in other countries. This is not about cosmetic changes, but about reworking how the App Store and the apps themselves determine who can be given access to a particular content. In the near future, the company will begin restricting downloads of 18+ rated apps in Brazil, Australia, and Singapore, as well as introduce additional mechanisms to meet the requirements of the states of Utah and Louisiana.
Developers have already been notified about the expansion of the set of age verification tools. The updated Declared Age Range API has become available in the beta version. This interface allows the application to get the user's age category — for example, "under 13", "teenager" or "adult" — without requesting the exact date of birth and without transmitting unnecessary personal data. In fact, we are talking about a way to verify compliance with the requirements of the law without disclosing unnecessary information.
The need for such solutions has emerged against the background of stricter regulation: more and more countries are demanding that minors restrict access to social networks and services with adult content. In Brazil, for example, developers will be able to get the user's age category through the API if he or his parent agrees to transfer it. Without this consent, the application will not receive the appropriate signal.
A separate measure concerns the downloads themselves. In Australia, Brazil and Singapore, users will not be able to install apps marked 18+ until they confirm that they have reached the age of majority. The App Store itself will perform the verification, not a third-party service. At the same time, Apple emphasizes that developers may still be subject to additional local requirements, such as the obligation to implement their own control mechanisms.
Was it helpful? Don't lose us!
Subscribe so you don't miss anything.
In Brazil, the changes will also affect games with loot boxes, a mechanic in which a player pays for a random in—game reward. Local regulators are increasingly considering such a model as close to gambling practices. As a result, projects with similar elements will receive an 18+ rating and will be subject to the same download restrictions.
In the United States, the innovations are addressed to Utah and Louisiana, which have their own rules on the protection of minors in the digital environment. New users in these states will be able to transfer their age category to apps via the same API. Additionally, Apple has expanded tools related to age ratings and parental permissions: now developers receive more signals about whether age restrictions apply to the user and whether parental consent is required for significant updates to children's applications.
The company has already faced similar requirements. In October, Apple began adapting the processes to the Texas age verification law, but in December some of the measures were suspended — the regulatory act is being challenged in court. In parallel, last year Apple revised the age rating system, making it more detailed, and added new questions for developers when submitting applications for moderation. The current changes logically continue this line: the company is gradually rebuilding the App Store infrastructure to meet the requirements of regulators in different countries.
