Apple said today that it is implementing new features aimed at making the Internet safer for children, including updating the age rating system, making it easier for parents to set up children's accounts, changing the content children see on the App Store, and new APIs that let developers confirm age ranges to provide children with age-appropriate experiences.
The changes are outlined in a new version of the "Helping Kids Online" white paper [PDF] posted on Apple's developer site. Essentially, Apple wants to give parents more control over what their children see and hear online in a privacy-preserving way while also avoiding less-tailored legislation that would have required the App Store to take responsibility for age verification.
First, Apple will make it easier for parents and children to set up age-appropriate accounts. When creating an account, Apple will ask for the age range of the person using the device. This feature is available in the iOS 18.4 beta. If the account is created for a child under 13, there will be a "Connect to Family" option. Children's use of the App Store and other device features requires parental consent, and that's exactly the process Apple is simplifying. Currently, Apple requires parents to provide a credit card, but going forward, parents will be able to use existing Apple service payment history for verification and confirm via FaceID or TouchID.
If a parent is not around, children can create their own account and use the device immediately, and online content and information will automatically be age-restricted. Certain experiences, such as app downloads, will be restricted until the child asks a parent to complete account setup through the parental consent process. Later this year, parents will be able to correct the age range on existing child accounts if the current age is inaccurate.
Developers will be asked to provide details about whether their apps contain user-generated content or ads, require age verification, and/or offer parental controls, and this information will be shared on the App Store product page.
Apple will also update age range categories for content. Apple now has four categories (4+, 9+, 12+ and 17+) but is splitting up the teen age range. The new age categories are 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ and 18+. Children will not be able to download apps above the age level set by their parents, and Apple will not display age-restricted apps in app ads in the App Store, instead highlighting apps that are age-appropriate for children.
4+ - App does not contain objectionable content
9+ - The App may contain content that is not suitable for users under the age of 9, including unusual or mild cartoon or fantasy violence, profanity or crude humor, or content with mature, suggestive, horror or frightening themes.
13+ - Applications may contain content that is not suitable for users under 13 years of age, including non-recurring or minor medical or therapeutic content, references to alcohol, tobacco or drug use, sexual content or nudity, realistic violence or simulated gambling; or frequent or intense competition, profanity or crude humor, horror or fear-themed content, cartoon or fantasy violence.
16+ - Applications may contain content that is inappropriate for users under 16, including unrestricted network access, frequent or intense mature or suggestive content, or medical or therapy-focused content.
18+ - The App may contain content that is not suitable for users under 18 years of age, including gambling, frequent or intense simulated gambling, content involving alcohol, tobacco or drug use, sexual content or nudity or realistic violence.
Apple will provide developers with a Declared Age Range API that provides them with a user’s age range to ensure that children do not see adult-targeted content in apps. Age ranges prevent apps from accessing a child's specific information, such as date of birth, and parents can choose whether to share age range information with developers. Apple says it aims to collect the minimum amount of data needed to provide the services users need, and it doesn't want to collect birth dates at the App Store level because all users are required to provide that information regardless of whether they want to use age-restricted apps.
While only a small subset of apps on the App Store may require age verification, all users are required to provide us with sensitive personally identifiable information, regardless of whether they actually want to use these limited apps. This means that data such as driver's license, passport or ID numbers (such as Social Security numbers) are provided to us even if we don't need them. And, because many children in the United States do not have government-issued ID, parents in the United States will have to provide more sensitive documents to allow their children to access apps designed for children. This is not in the interest of user security and privacy.
According to Apple, its approach is to give parents control over what content is shared with developers and what children see, rather than building an umbrella experience for all users.
Apple's App Store changes come as several U.S. states are considering stricter child protection laws that would require app store operators to confirm a user's age and obtain parental consent before allowing minors to download apps. Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is also pushing for age verification at the platform level so that Meta doesn’t need to do it. There are some laws related to social media that require websites to obtain parental consent when users sign up, but these laws are not universal. Other countries, such as the UK and Australia, have also implemented laws that place a responsibility on social media companies to ensure that children do not access inappropriate content.
Apple has opposed platform-level legislation in the U.S. due to the privacy concerns raised by sharing a user's age with every app, but the API and age range information could satisfy user demands for better age verification practices while also protecting user security. Apple plans to implement all of these updates this year, but the exact timing has not yet been determined.