Apple will introduce age verification in the App Store for users in Texas starting on Thursday, June 4th. The move 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 are 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.
How It Works
The age verification requirement applies only to new account creation. Existing Apple users in Texas will not be immediately affected, though the law could evolve over time.
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 are providing age-appropriate experiences for users under 18 and can use Apple’s Declared Age Range API to check a user’s age range.
Apple has announced plans to implement age checks to comply with laws in other places, including Utah, Louisiana, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Google is required to make similar changes to the Play Store and is also introducing age-checking tools for developers.
The Legal Battle
Last December, a judge blocked the App Store Accountability Act from taking effect. But an appeals court has now reversed that decision — at least while the court figures out whether the law is constitutional. The law is being challenged in court, and its long-term future is uncertain.
Even if the Texas law is eventually struck down, a federal version with the same name is still making its way through Congress. That bill could impose age verification at the app store level nationwide, affecting every Apple and Google user in the United States.
The Bottom Line
Apple is bringing age verification to the Texas App Store starting June 4th. New users will need to confirm they are over 18 using a credit card or government ID. Users under 18 must join a Family Sharing group with parental consent. The change follows a federal appeals court decision allowing Texas’ App Store Accountability Act to take effect while a lawsuit against it proceeds. Similar age verification requirements are already planned or in effect in other states and countries.
