Let me see some ID: age verification is spreading across the internet – The Verge

Apple is bringing age verification to Texas this week

2026-06-04T06:19:56-04:00

Apple will introduce age verification in the App Store for users in Texas starting on Thursday, June 4th. The move, as spotted by MacRumors, comes just days after a federal appeals court allowed Texas' App Store Accountability Act to go into effect while a lawsuit against it proceeds.

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 a user's 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 c …

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Linux devs are fighting the new age-gated internet

2026-05-14T16:36:53-04:00

In January, Colorado lawmakers introduced a proposal to make operating systems collect users' ages and pass them to app developers. The bill, SB26-051, had clearly been designed for commercial platforms like iOS and Android - one of numerous plans to age-gate the internet through users' devices. It was intended to provide information that would let developers disable age-inappropriate experiences for kids. But as it made the rounds online, Linux laptop maker Carl Richell read the proposal with dismay.

Carl Richell is the founder and CEO of Denver-based System76, which also develops the Pop!_OS Linux distribution. The law, he realized, woul …

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Facebook and Instagram are using AI bone structure analysis to identify photos of kids

2026-05-05T08:07:13-04:00

Facebook and Instagram have a new way to detect and remove users under 13: AI bone structure analysis. In a blog post on Tuesday, Meta - Facebook and Instagram's parent company - says its AI system will scan photos and videos posted to its platforms for "general themes and visual cues," including height and bone structure.

"We want to be clear: this is not facial recognition," Meta says in the blog post, adding that it "does not identify the specific person in the image." This system is part of Meta's efforts to keep kids under 13 off its platforms, and will also analyze posts, comments, bios, and captions to search for "contextual clues" t …

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PlayStation’s age-gating restrictions are coming to UK consoles

2026-04-21T09:39:37-04:00

Sony is starting to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act by notifying PlayStation players of its age verification requirements today. PS4 and PS5 owners in the UK and Ireland won't be able to participate in voice chats, messaging, parties, or other third-party communication services from June unless they verify their age.

"Beginning June 2026, if you have not completed age verification, you can continue playing on PlayStation, but some features won't be available until you verify your age," says Sony in a support note. Age verification will also be required for broadcasting features or sharing gameplay to YouTube or Twitch from a PlayStat …

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Wisconsin governor says ‘no’ to age checks for porn

2026-04-06T18:32:37-04:00

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that would've required residents to verify their age before accessing porn sites, as reported earlier by 404 Media. In a letter to the members of the assembly last week, Evers writes that the bill "imposes an intrusive burden on adults who are trying to access constitutionally protected materials."

The bill (AB 105) would've required sites with more than one-third of their total content deemed harmful to minors to impose a "reasonable" form of age verification, such as asking users to show their government-issued ID. More than two dozen states have already passed similar age check requirements for acc …

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Apple’s iOS 26.4 update adds age verification in the UK

2026-04-08T05:53:22-04:00

Apple now requires users in the UK to verify their age with the launch of iOS 26.4. In a support page on Apple's website, the company says users must confirm that they're over 18 to "use certain services or features, or take certain actions on their account."

UK users can confirm their age by scanning their ID or using a credit card. If a user already has an Apple account, the company may use a linked payment method to verify that they're over 18. Otherwise, Apple will automatically enable child safety protections, including features that block adult content on the web and blur messages containing nudity.

Apple launched iOS 26.4 on Tuesday …

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Lawmakers just advanced online safety laws that require age verification at the app store

2026-03-06T08:27:45-05:00

A package of child safety bills is headed to the House floor following an hours-long session that left Democrats and Republicans divided. On Thursday, lawmakers on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce voted to advance the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act; Sammy's Law; and the App Store Accountability Act, which would require app stores to introduce age-gating.

The KIDS Act, which is sponsored by Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), encompasses several child safety laws. That includes a version of the latest House Republican update to the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) without the "duty of care" provision central to the Senate's …

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FTC declines to enforce a kids privacy law for data collected to verify users’ ages

2026-02-26T15:50:29-05:00

The Federal Trade Commission is encouraging companies to adopt age verification technologies by announcing it will not enforce a children's online privacy law against certain websites that collect and use minors' personal data in order to verify their ages.

"Age verification technologies are some of the most child-protective technologies to emerge in decades," Christopher Mufarrige, the director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a press release. "Our statement incentivizes operators to use these innovative tools, empowering parents to protect their children online."

There are certain criteria that websites need to meet in order …

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Apple says age verification shown to UK users in iOS 26.4 beta was an ‘error’

2026-02-27T21:15:04-05:00

Apple users running the iOS 26.4 beta in the UK saw prompts telling them to verify that they're over 18 following installation. As shown in screenshots posted to Reddit, Apple says users who don't confirm their age "will not be able to download and purchase apps or make in-app purchases."

Apple spokesperson Peter Ajemian says the company has since removed the prompt:

Some users on the beta software in the UK temporarily saw a message suggesting age verification is required to download apps. That message was displayed in error, and has been fixed. Developers may continue to use the Declared Age Range API to provide age appropriate experien …

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Apple’s new age verification tools block underage app downloads where required by law

2026-02-24T19:45:37-05:00

Apple, like many others, has had to launch age verification features in response to new requirements for age checks in many regions, and on Tuesday, the company announced new details about its tools that developers can use to "meet their age assurance obligations under upcoming U.S. and regional laws, including in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana."

One of the big updates is that users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore can't download apps rated 18-plus unless their age has been confirmed through "reasonable methods," which the App Store can confirm automatically. Apple notes that developers may still "have separate obliga …

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