Apple’s new age verification tools block underage app downloads where required by law

Apple, like many others, has had to launch age verification features in response to new requirements for age checks in many regions, and on Tuesday, the company announced new details about its tools that developers can use to “meet their age assurance obligations under upcoming U.S. and regional laws, including in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana.” One of the big updates is that users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore can’t download apps rated 18-plus unless their age has been confirmed through “reasonable methods,” which the App Store can confirm automatically. Apple notes that developers may still “have separate obligations to independently confirm that their users are adults,” and they can use Apple’s Declared Age Range API, introduced last year to let app developers request age range information about users, to help. In addition, Apple is announcing that, for new Apple Account users in Utah as of May 6th and in Louisiana as of July 1st, “age categories will be shared with the developer’s app when requested through the Declared Age Range API.” There are also “new signals” available to developers 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,” Apple says. “The API will also let you know if you need to get a parent or guardian’s permission for significant app updates for a child.”