Apple Now Blocks 18+ App Downloads in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore Without Age Assurance

Source: MacRumors

Overview

Apple has updated its age‑assurance tools for developers in several regions, introducing new obligations for age verification and parental consent. The changes affect Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana, and are supported by new Apple APIs that help developers comply with upcoming regulations.

Regional updates

Australia, Brazil, and Singapore

• As of February 24, Apple blocks users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore from downloading apps rated 18+ unless the user’s adult status is confirmed through an App Store age‑confirmation process that uses “reasonable methods.”
• Age confirmation is performed automatically by the App Store, but developers may also need to independently verify users’ ages using the Declared Age Range API.

Brazil (loot boxes)

• Apps that contain loot boxes will have their age rating automatically adjusted to 18+ on the Brazilian storefront.
• This follows Brazil’s new age‑related app‑store laws, which prohibit loot boxes for children.
• Developers can view a user’s age group when the user—or the user’s parent—chooses to share it, with Apple providing a new signal indicating the method of age assurance used.

Utah and Louisiana

• Upcoming regulations in Utah and Louisiana require developers to establish a user’s age with the Declared Age Range API to prevent children from downloading apps that are not age‑appropriate.
• Apple has updated the API to help developers:
  • Determine whether age‑related regulatory requirements apply to a user.
  • Identify if the user is required to share their age range.
• A new notice is shown when an app must obtain a parent or guardian’s permission for significant updates to an app that was downloaded by a child.
• In some cases, developers must inform parents when an app receives a major update with new functionality; parents must then grant permission for the child to continue using the app, even if permission was previously given.
• Utah’s App Store Accountability Act takes effect on May 6, 2026.
• Louisiana’s House Bill 570 becomes effective on July 1, 2026.
• Both laws apply only to new Apple accounts.

Compliance and penalties

• Developers who fail to meet age‑assurance requirements can face fines.
  • In Utah, parents may recover damages of up to $1,000 per violation.
  • In Louisiana, developers can be fined up to $10,000 per violation after a 45‑day grace period.
• Apple itself could be fined millions of dollars for non‑compliance in Brazil, Australia, and Singapore, where platform‑level age‑verification requirements are now in place.

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Tag: App Store

This article first appeared on MacRumors.com.