Beginning in the upcoming year, the state of Texas will implement a comprehensive legal requirement compelling major technology companies—specifically those operating expansive digital marketplaces such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play—to verify the ages of individuals who use their platforms. In anticipation of this regulation, Apple has formally outlined the mechanisms it will employ to ensure compliance with the new mandate.
Effective January 1, 2026, every person attempting to create a new Apple Account will be obliged to declare whether they are eighteen years of age or older. This verification step will serve as a necessary safeguard to ensure that age‑restricted content and services remain appropriately managed. For individuals younger than eighteen, Apple will introduce an additional structural requirement: these users must become members of a Family Sharing group. This system, already embedded within Apple’s ecosystem, allows parents and legal guardians to supervise and manage the activities of minors across multiple Apple devices. In practice, this means that parents or guardians will need to actively grant permission before a minor can download new applications or make purchases within apps—a measure designed to reinforce digital accountability and protect younger users from inappropriate or potentially exploitative content and spending.
The impact of the Texas legislation extends beyond end users. Developers—those who design, build, and maintain applications distributed through Apple’s digital marketplace—will also have to adjust their systems to comply with the new standards. To aid this process, Apple currently provides a software tool known as the Declared Age Range API. This feature enables developers to request general age information from users, helping to tailor content and ensure regulatory compliance. Apple has indicated that this API will undergo targeted updates in the months ahead so that it includes the specific age classifications required for new account holders based in Texas.
Furthermore, in a continued effort to simplify compliance for developers, Apple plans to introduce additional programming interfaces later in the year. These forthcoming APIs will allow developers to trigger a unified system experience that prompts users to request renewed parental consent whenever there are notable updates or significant functional changes within an app. This capability will ensure that parental permissions remain current and reflect the evolving nature of digital applications.
Texas is not alone in taking legislative action on this front. Both Utah and Louisiana have enacted comparable laws that impose similar expectations on technology providers with respect to protecting minors in digital environments. Apple has acknowledged that analogous requirements will begin to take effect in these states later next year, indicating a growing nationwide trend toward regulated age verification practices for online services. Similarly, Google has released its own set of detailed guidelines to help developers operating within the Google Play ecosystem prepare for and adapt to the forthcoming age verification obligations.
Despite its stated commitment to advancing online safety for children, Apple has not fully embraced the current legislative approach. The company has voiced its reservations about how certain provisions, particularly those contained in Texas Senate Bill 2420, might affect fundamental user privacy rights. According to Apple, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook personally reached out to Texas Governor Greg Abbott in an attempt to encourage amendments to the bill before its implementation. In its official statement, Apple emphasized that while it supports the overarching goal of enhancing digital security and protecting minors, it remains deeply concerned about the privacy implications of requiring users to submit highly sensitive, personally identifiable data merely to access or download commonplace applications. The company illustrated this concern with practical examples, noting that the collection of such information could be mandated even for seemingly harmless purposes—such as checking local weather updates or viewing sports scores—raising questions about proportionality and necessity in the balance between safety and privacy.
In essence, Apple’s recent announcements and forthcoming technical adjustments reveal the tension at the intersection of regulatory compliance, user privacy, and digital safety. As states like Texas, Utah, and Louisiana push forward with stricter laws governing online age verification, major technology companies are being compelled to redesign core elements of their platforms. The unfolding changes signal a pivotal moment in the relationship between private innovation and public oversight—one that will likely shape the future of digital identity and parental consent across the technology landscape.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/796760/apple-iphones-ios-app-store-age-verification-law-texas-utah-louisiana
