Apple is introducing new age verification tools to comply with child safety regulations in the US and several international markets, expanding its “age assurance” suite with a new Declared Age Range API.
The API allows developers to determine a user’s age range without accessing sensitive personal data, such as a date of birth, addressing a growing number of laws that restrict app usage to adults 18 and older.
Effective immediately, Apple is blocking downloads of apps rated 18+ in Brazil, Australia, and Singapore, requiring users to confirm they are adults to access such content. The App Store will handle this age confirmation automatically, though developers remain responsible for separate compliance obligations.
In Brazil, developers can utilize the Declared Age Range API to obtain a user’s age category if the user or their guardian chooses to share it. Games containing loot boxes will have their age ratings updated to 18+, as lawmakers have targeted loot boxes, arguing they should not be accessible to minors.
In the United States, the Declared Age Range API will soon share age categories with developers’ apps for new users in Utah and Louisiana. Apple has expanded other tools regarding age ratings and permissions to satisfy compliance needs in these states.
The API provides new signals regarding whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to a specific user and indicates if developers need to obtain parental permission for significant app updates intended for a child, according to an Apple blog post.
Apple previously attempted to comply with similar requirements in Texas last October but paused some plans in December while the state’s law faces a legal challenge in court. Last year, Apple overhauled its age rating system, introducing more granular age ranges and additional questions for developers submitting apps for review.
