There has been ongoing debate on whether age verification should be implemented at the website level or at the operating system level…or not at all.
In the United Kingdom, Apple is opting for OS level age verification, according to the BBC.
“Apple is rolling out age checks for iPhone and iPad users in the UK that will ask them to verify if they are adults to access “certain services” such as 18-plus apps.
“After customers accept the latest iOS 26.4 software update, they will be asked to verify their age, which they can do by providing a credit card or scanning their ID, according to an Apple support page.
“Those who do not confirm how old they are or are underage will have web content filters turned on automatically.”
Specifically, according to Apple:
“When creating a new Apple Account or using Apple services, you may see a prompt asking you to confirm that you’re an adult. This is required by law in some countries and regions.”
Regarding that last sentence, is OS level age verification REQUIRED? Silkie Carlo of Big Brother Watch says no:
“Carlo told the BBC she believed Apple had “crossed the Rubicon” with its new software update which she described as “more like ransomware”, and which she said essentially left millions of Brits owning a “child’s device”, unless they complied with the age checks.
“And she said while she believed children’s online safety was vital, it required more thoughtful tech responsibility and not “sweeping, draconian shock demands by foreign companies for all of our IDs and credit cards”.”
Note the appeal to resist the “American” company, which raises questions about whether Apple’s collection of this information potentially violates United Kingdom privacy laws if the data is sent to Cupertino.
For the record, Ofcom currently only requires age verification for pornographic sites, not for everything.
So why did Apple do it if UK law doesn’t require it?
Two reasons:
- Future proofing. While the UK and other jurisdictions do not require age verification at the OS level now, they may require it at some point. If so, Apple has already implemented it in the UK (for iPhones and iPads) and can implement it elsewhere.
- CYA. A jury in California awarded damages after finding that Meta and Google were responsible for a woman’s anxiety and depression, suffered because of her social media use as a child. Apple doesn’t want to face a similar lawsuit.
Incidentally, it’s interesting to note that these and other stories pair “Meta” and “Google.” Does no one refer to “Alphabet” (Google’s parent company) any more?
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