Apple Is Bringing Age Verification To Texas This Week
Source: Slashdot
Overview
Apple will introduce age verification in the App Store for users in Texas starting Thursday, June 4th. People in Texas 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.
Legal Background
The move follows a federal appeals court decision that allowed Texas’ App Store Accountability Act to go into effect while a lawsuit proceeds. The law was previously blocked by a judge in December, but the appeals court reversed that decision pending a constitutional review. Even if the Texas law is struck down, a federal version with the same name is moving through Congress and could impose nationwide age verification.
Apple’s Broader Implementation
Apple is also preparing age checks to comply with laws in Utah, Louisiana, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, and the UK. Google is required to make similar changes to the Play Store and is introducing age‑checking tools for developers.