Apple will enforce age verification in the App Store for its users in Texas. This means users will have to confirm whether they are 18 years or older when creating an Apple account. This comes as the enforcement of Texas Senate Bill 2420 (the App Store Accountability Act) reaches its deadline. The bill requires app marketplaces and developers to ensure their users are age 18 or older.
Apple is implementing age verification in the App Store for new accounts in Texas
Texas users creating a new Apple account will have to verify their age through a credit card or government ID. This doesn’t affect existing users. On its part, the company may also automatically verify a user’s age by analyzing the age of their account and whether they have a credit card on file. Meanwhile, users under 18 must be part of a Family Sharing group, and parents need to give their consent for all App Store downloads, purchases, and in-app transactions.
As for developers, they need to ensure they’re providing age-appropriate content for those under 18 years. They can use Apple’s Declared Age Range API to check a user’s age range. They’re also responsible for implementing the correct age restrictions. Developers need to get consent from a parent if there is a significant change to an app.
Parents in Texas can revoke consent for any app they previously approved for their child. If there’s any violation, developers could face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.
The company opposed the law
For some context, the Texas Senate Bill 2420 was passed back in 2025. However, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction after backlash from tech groups and advocacy organizations on First Amendment grounds. After an administrative stay by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, the bill can now be enforced starting June 4th.
Apple opposed the law, arguing that age verification requires data collection and users need to share sensitive data for basic apps. MacRumors reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook even tried to persuade Texas Governor Greg Abbott into vetoing the law. However, the governor signed it regardless.
Google also needs to make similar changes
The case is still ongoing, and the Fifth Circuit court has not yet decided whether to keep the law in place (permanent stay of the injunction) during the appeals process. Courts also still need to rule on whether SB 2420 is constitutional and whether the state has the authority to impose age checks for app marketplaces.Â
Google also needs to make similar changes to the Play Store. It’ll reportedly introduce age-checking tools for developers.
The post Apple App Store Now Requires Mandatory Age Verification in Texas appeared first on Android Headlines.
​Â
