Earlier this year,Texas passed a law requiring app stores to verify the ages of their users. Now, Apple has shared more about how it plans to comply with requirements, which are slated to go into effect next year.
Beginning January 1, 2026, people in Texas creating new Apple accounts will need to verify that they are over the age of 18, Apple said. And anyone under 18 will be required to link their account to a parent or guardian's via the company's Family Sharing settings. Parents will then be prompted to approve all of their child's downloads, in-app purchases and other transactions.
While Apple didn't explain exactly how it will conduct age verification, the company noted that developers will also need to make changes in order to comply with the Texas law. The company is working on new developer tools so app makers can implement parental consent requirements and other age-restricted features.
The Declared Age Range API is available to implement now, and will be updated in the coming months to provide the required age categories for new account users in Texas. And new APIs launching later this year will enable developers, when they determine a significant change is made to their app, to invoke a system experience to allow the user to request that parental consent be re-obtained. Additionally, parents will be able to revoke consent for a minor continuing to use an app. More details, including additional technical documentation, will be released later this fall.
Apple had opposed the law and CEO Tim Cook personally lobbied Texas Governor Greg Abbott to veto the measure. In its latest update, the company made clear that it still isn't enthusiastic about Texas' approach. "While we share the goal of strengthening kids’ online safety, we are concerned that SB2420 impacts the privacy of users by requiring the collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information to download any app, even if a user simply wants to check the weather or sports scores," Apple said in its note to developers.
Though Texas' age verification law for app stores will be the first to take, it isn't the only state to implement such requirements. Utah and Louisiana have also passed laws requiring app stores to conduct age verification checks. Those measures will also take effect in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-explains-how-it-will-comply-with-app-store-age-verification-requirements-in-texas-185934469.html?src=rss
