Apple Now Bans 18+ App Downloads in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore Without Age Verification
Apple today provided an update on its age verification tools to developers in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana. Developers in these areas will face new age verification and parental consent obligations, and Apple’s APIs will help them meet these upcoming requirements.
As of February 24, Apple is barring users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore from downloading apps with an 18+ rating unless they are verified through the App Store’s age verification process using “reasonable methods.” Age verification is done automatically through the App Store, but developers may independently require that their users be adults through the Declared Age Range API.
In Brazil, apps with loot boxes will be age adjusted to 18+ on the Brazilian store front, as Brazil’s age-related app store rules prevent apps from offering loot boxes to minors. Developers can see a user’s age group when the user or the user’s parent chooses to share it, with Apple adding a new signal about how to verify age.
In Utah and Louisiana, there are upcoming laws that require developers to find a user’s age through the Declared Age Range API to restrict children from downloading age-inappropriate apps. Apple has updated the API to help developers determine whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to a user, and whether a user is required to share an age range. There is also a new notification if the app is required to obtain permission from a parent or guardian for important app updates for an app downloaded by a child.
In some cases, developers are required to notify parents when apps receive a major new functionality update, and parents must give permission for a child to use the app, even if permission was previously granted.
Utah’s App Store Accountability Act requirement goes into effect on May 6, 2026, while Louisiana’s House Bill 570 goes into effect on July 1, 2026, and both laws apply to new Apple Accounts only.
Several states and US states have begun implementing strict child protection laws, some of which require app store operators like Apple to verify a user’s age and obtain parental consent before children are allowed to download apps.
Developers can face penalties for not complying with age verification requirements. In Utah, for example, parents can recover up to $1,000 in damages per violation, while Louisiana can fine developers up to $10,000 per violation after a 45-day grace period.
Apple could also be fined millions of dollars for non-compliance in Brazil, Australia, and Singapore, where there are now platform-level requirements.
Apple has fought the platform-level rule because of privacy concerns raised by the age verification process. Apple does not want to verify age through methods such as ID submission due to data collection issues, and the company also does not want to share age information with every user and developer.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion about this topic, the discussion thread is available in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 entries.
