Apple says it plans to introduce age assurance technologies which can tell social media platforms if a user is underage, before Australia implements a ban of under-16s from such platforms in late 2025.

The tech giant’s announcement pushes back against companies such as Snap and Meta, which have called for device manufacturers like Apple and Google to be responsible for verifying users’ ages at the app store or operating system level, instead of by social media apps.

Announced in a whitepaper to developers on Friday, Apple said the changes would introduce a range of new child safety features “this year”.

Developers would be able to use what Apple called a Declared Age Range API (Application Programming Interface) to request information about the age range of a child user, with the consent of their parent or guardian.

Instead of sharing the child’s birth date with online platforms, Apple’s API would confirm whether the user was under 13, under 16, or under 18, which would help apps decide what content to show, the company said.

“The age range will be shared with developers if and only if parents decide to allow this information to be shared, and they can also disable sharing if they change their mind,” Apple said.

App store age verification ‘not in the interest’ of users

Apple used its whitepaper to argue why it believed the operators of apps, such as major social media platforms, should be ultimately responsible for age assurance — and not app store operators.

The issue has previously seen the likes of Meta — which operates Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads — urge the Australian government to make Apple and Google responsible for age assurance, as they operate the App Store and Google Play.

But under the federal plan, designated social media platforms would need to take “reasonable steps” to assure the age of their users.


Apple says age verification at an app store level would require too much sensitive customer data. Photo: Shutterstock

Apple argued age verification was best done by apps which needed to, or were legally required to, carry out such checks.

“Requiring age verification at the app marketplace level is not data minimisation,” the company said.

“While only a fraction of apps on the App Store may require age verification, all users would have to hand over their sensitive personally identifying information to us — regardless of whether they actually want to use one of these limited set of apps.

“That means giving us data like a driver’s licence, passport, or national identification number, even if we don't need it.

“… That's not in the interest of user safety or privacy.”

A Meta spokesperson reportedly told The Verge Apple’s announcement was “a positive first step”, but Meta still supported legislation which required app stores verify a child’s exact age.

Apple argued its new API was a “narrowly tailored, data-minimising, privacy-protecting tool”.

The company said it would also update the age ratings system for apps in its App Store, expanding it from four categories to five: Age 4 plus; 9 plus, 13 plus, 16 plus, and 18 plus.

Australia’s age assurance trial continues

A trial of age assurance technologies instigated by the Australian government has begun testing age verification, age estimation, and age inference systems — each of which held their own reliability and privacy concerns, experts have said.

At least 53 companies are confirmed to have contributed potential technologies for evaluation under the trial, including Meta, Snap, and ConnectID operator Australian Payments Plus.

Google, which has not been named as a contributor to the trial, announced earlier this month that it would begin testing the use of artificial intelligence systems to estimate a user’s age.

Australia’s age assurance technology trial is expected to report to the government by mid-year.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland will decide which platforms the under-16s social media ban will apply to, before the regulations are planned to take effect in December.

Platforms with substantial educational content such as YouTube and education apps are expected to be exempt from the ban, along with online games and some messaging services such as Signal.