Apple Child Safety: New App Age Checks & Initiatives

Apple Enhances Safety Features for Young Users

On Thursday, Apple unveiled a series of new measures aimed at fostering a more secure digital environment for children and teenagers utilizing Apple products. These enhancements focus on empowering both parents and developers in their efforts to safeguard younger users.

Simplified Child Account Setup and Age Sharing

The setup process for child accounts has been streamlined for increased ease of use. Furthermore, parents will now have the capability to share their children’s ages with app developers. This information will enable developers to tailor content to be suitable for specific age groups.

Refined App Store Age Ratings

The App Store is introducing a revised age rating system. This new system will provide both developers and users with a more detailed assessment of an app’s suitability for different age ranges. Greater clarity regarding content appropriateness is a key goal.

Expanded App Information for Parents

Product pages for apps available on the App Store will be updated. These updates will include supplementary details to assist parents in making informed decisions. Information will cover aspects such as the presence of user-generated content, advertising, and available parental controls.

Rollout Timeline

Apple has announced that these updates will be implemented for both parents and developers later in the current year. A specific release date has not yet been disclosed.

Context of Evolving Regulations

These changes are occurring against a backdrop of increasing legislative scrutiny. Discussions are ongoing at both state and federal levels regarding the responsibilities of technology companies in protecting children online.

State-Level Legislative Efforts

Currently, nine U.S. states, including Utah and South Carolina, are considering legislation. These proposed bills would mandate that app store providers, such as Apple, verify the ages of users before obtaining parental consent for app downloads.

Industry Debate on Age Verification

Apple has consistently advocated for app developers to independently verify users’ ages. Conversely, major tech companies like Meta have argued that app store operators are better positioned to handle age verification due to their existing user data.

A Compromise Solution

Apple’s new approach represents a middle ground. While Apple will collect age information through parental input, the responsibility for utilizing this data to create age-appropriate app experiences remains with the third-party developers. This distributes the responsibility for safety.

Ultimately, these changes demonstrate Apple’s commitment to child safety and its responsiveness to the evolving regulatory landscape.

Streamlined Child Account Configuration

Apple has implemented a revised system for establishing child accounts. These accounts are mandatory for individuals under 13 years of age and are available as an option for those up to 18.

The process of creating a new child account now includes a simplified age selection by the parent. Parental identity verification is also improved, leveraging existing Apple payment information. This eliminates the previous requirement of manual credit card entry.

In situations where immediate parental setup isn't possible, children can initiate device configuration independently. Apple will then automatically enforce age-suitable web content filtering. Pre-installed applications, such as Notes, Pages, and Keynote, will be accessible.

During this initial phase, neither Apple nor app developers are permitted to gather data from the child without explicit parental permission. Data collection is therefore restricted until full account setup.

Children will receive prompts to request parental assistance when attempting to download applications from the App Store for the first time. This ensures parental awareness and control.

Upon completion of the setup by a parent, children gain access to the App Store and other Apple services. Access is governed by the content and application restrictions defined by the parent.

A key aspect of this updated system concerns the method by which third-party developers confirm the ages of young users.

A Novel Age Verification API for Application Developers

Rather than relying on children to self-report their dates of birth, a common practice among numerous social applications currently, developers now have the opportunity to utilize a new Declared Age Range API. This API facilitates access to age range data initially provided by parents during the creation of a child’s account.

This system allows parents to modify the initially entered information should any inaccuracies exist. Through this API, application creators can obtain an age range for the child, enabling them to tailor the application experience accordingly.

Importantly, developers will not be granted access to the child’s specific birthdate. Apple clarifies that parents retain the ability to withdraw this permission at any point in time.

How the System Works for Users

When an application requires age information from a child, a prompt will appear requesting permission to share their age range. This process mirrors existing permission requests for sensitive features like location services, microphone access, camera usage, or photo gallery access.

This approach represents a more reliable method, addressing the frequent issue of children falsifying their birthdates to gain access to age-restricted content or features.

The integration of this new API is voluntary for developers. However, potential future legislation could mandate its implementation for certain applications or categories of apps.

Developers must actively implement the API to benefit from its features. Should pending state-level bills become law, compliance may become legally required for some developers.

• Enhanced Privacy: Children’s exact birthdates remain private.
• Parental Control: Parents maintain control over shared age information.
• Improved Accuracy: Reduces the likelihood of false age declarations.

This new system aims to strike a balance between providing age-appropriate experiences and safeguarding children’s privacy. It offers a more robust and reliable method for age verification within the app ecosystem.

Updates to Age Ratings on the App Store

The App Store is undergoing revisions to its age rating system. Currently, apps are categorized into four age groups: 4+, 9+, 12+, and 17+. These classifications are set to be refined.

The upcoming changes will introduce more specific age brackets for teenagers, dividing the 13-17 range into 13+, 16+, and 18+ categories. The existing 4+ and 9+ age ranges will remain in place.

How Age Ratings are Determined

Age ratings are assigned based on a questionnaire completed by app developers. Apple assesses the app's content, considering both its nature and how often and intensely it appears.

This revised system aims to provide parents with a more precise understanding of an app's suitability for their children. It will be particularly helpful when a child requests an app download.

Enhanced Parental Controls

If parental controls are enabled, children will be blocked from downloading or updating applications that fall outside their designated age range. This ensures a safer digital experience.

Furthermore, apps with age restrictions will not be prominently displayed in curated sections of the App Store. This includes areas like Today, Games, and Apps, ensuring age-appropriate content is featured to young users.

Availability and Future Updates

Certain aspects of these changes are already accessible in the iOS 18.4 public beta. These include features for child accounts.

Additional updates, such as the ability to modify a child account's age after creation and the implementation of the Declared Age Range API, along with the broader Age Ratings and App Store improvements, are scheduled for release later this year.

Industry Response

Meta has responded to these updates, describing them as “a positive first step.” However, they emphasized that implementing these protections requires the teen’s consent.

Meta also voiced support for legislation that would mandate age verification and parental approval before a child can download an app. They stated that parents desire ultimate control over their teen’s app usage.

• Parents want the final say in app choices for their teens.
• Age verification and parental consent are key to ensuring safety.

This article was updated to include a statement from Meta.