The debate surrounding age verification for accessing certain content (from porn to social media) primarily concerns Apple and Google. For Meta, Spotify, and Snap, the responsibility for this verification should rest with the iPhone manufacturer and the Android developer.
New safeguards for Apple
The issue has resurfaced twice in France recently, first when the Aylo group decided to block access to its porn sites (YouPorn, Pornhub, and Redtube) for French internet users. The company is protesting against the requirement to verify users' ages, a process deemed "ineffective and dangerous." She also asked that Apple and Google address the issue directly.
Yesterday, Emmanuel Macron hammered home his desire to "ban social media for those under 15" in a few months in France... and try to get the whole of Europe to follow suit.
Neither Apple nor Google have shown any appetite for implementing an age verification system integrated into iOS and Android. To deflect suspicion, Apple reiterated the various parental control features and announced several new features for children's accounts, which concern minors aged 13 to 18.
With iOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4, the process of setting up these accounts has been streamlined: the default security settings are enabled upon first use. Parents can now more easily check that the age associated with their child's account is correct, and for those under 13, they will be prompted to connect the account to their family group.
iOS 26 will introduce a new feature that allows parents to share their child's age range (without revealing the exact date of birth) with developers via a new API to be integrated into their apps. Parents retain full control over this information and can choose to share always, never, or on a case-by-case basis.
Children aged 13 to 17 will automatically be entitled to similar protections as those under 13, including web content filters and Communication Safety (the system that blurs sensitive content in messages). Age ratings will be more granular on the App Store: 5 age categories instead of 4, with three new ratings for teens (13+, 16+, and 18+).
Finally, children will have to ask for parental permission to communicate with new contacts, including in third-party apps. Will all this be enough to prevent Apple from having to implement an age verification system? Nothing is less certain.
Source: Apple
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