GoKawiilis a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.
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Let me see some ID: age verification is spreading across the internet
People in Texas who are creating a new Apple account will need to verify they’re over 18 using a credit card or government ID. Apple may also automatically verify users’ age using the age of their account and whether they have a credit card on file.
Meanwhile, users under 18 must join a Family Sharing group, where a parent or guardian will need to provide consent for app downloads and in-app purchases. Developers must also ensure they’re providing age-appropriate experiences for users under 18 and can use Apple’s Declared Age Range API to check a user’s age range.
Last December, a judge blocked the App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) from taking effect, but an appeals court has now reversed this decision — at least while the court figures out whether the law is constitutional. Even if this law gets struck down in Texas, a federal version with the same name is still making its way through Congress and could impose age verification at the app store nationwide.