Utah Passes Child Safety Law Requiring Apple to Verify User Age

[MacRumors]

Utah today passed the App Store Accountability Act, a law that requires mobile app stores from Apple and Google to verify the age of users rather than having individual apps do age verification.

According to CNBC, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed the bill this afternoon. It is the first law related to mobile app store age verification that has passed in the U.S., and it will require Apple to verify user age when an Apple Account is created. If a child under the age of 18 opens an account, Apple will need to link the account to a parent's account, and parents will have to consent to app purchases.

Ahead of when Utah's law passed, Apple announced new age assurance features that are designed to make children safer online. During account setup, Apple will ask for the age range of the person using the device, and if the account is for a child under the age of 13, parents will be able to use a Connect to Family option to provide parental consent.

Apple also updated its age range categories for apps, and created a Declared Age Range API for developers that provides an age range to ensure that kids don't see content in apps that is meant for adults. Apple's system is not full age verification, and Apple has said that it does not want to collect date of birth info at the App Store level because all users would need to hand over that information regardless of whether they want to use an age limited app.

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 license, passport, or national identification number (such as a Social Security number), even if we don't need it. And because many kids in the U.S. don't have government-issued IDs, parents in the U.S. will have to provide even more sensitive documentation just to allow their child to access apps meant for children. That's not in the interest of user safety or privacy.

Apple believes that requiring invasive data like driver's licenses, passport numbers, and Social Security Numbers to verify age would violate user privacy and safety, but it is not clear if the new system meets Utah's requirements.

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has been pushing for the app store age verification legislation, arguing that age verification at the platform level is the simplest solution. Requiring the App Store and Play Store to confirm user age will mean that Meta does not have to invest resources into age verification procedures, and it would not be the target of outrage over the content that children are exposed to.

Utah's law is set to go into effect on May 7, but it may be delayed due to legal challenges.

Article Link: Utah Passes Child Safety Law Requiring Apple to Verify User Age

 

[sw1tcher]

Apple believes that requiring invasive data like driver's licenses, passport numbers, and Social Security Numbers to verify age would violate user privacy and safety, but it is not clear if the new system meets Utah's requirements.

Having Apple and Google verify the age of app buyers is analogous to retailers verifying the age of liquor and cigarette buyers.

I'd imagine a lot of people would rather have Apple handle the verification data than the app developers.

 

[Rafagon]

Instead of proper parenting. Swell. Put the responsibility on Apple. 😡

 

[jz0309]

Having Apple and Google verify the age of app buyers is analogous to retailers verifying the age of liquor and cigarette buyers.

I'd imagine a lot of people would rather have Apple handle the verification data than the app developers.

well, I don't drink/buy alcohol, but, being in my 60s I detest being"age checked" if I want to buy alcohol, so I am 100% against Apple asking me for my DOB potentially in the future.
There is no easy answer to this, and Meta has been pushing for the App Store "solution" cause they don't know how to handle it ...

 

[surferfb]

Having Apple and Google verify the age of app buyers is analogous to retailers verifying the age of liquor and cigarette buyers.

I'd imagine a lot of people would rather have Apple handle the verification data than the app developers.

This.

I’m not in favor of this law, but if the choice is Apple has to do it or the developers have to - sorry Apple, I want you to do it.

 

[thebart]

The effect of this will be to further consolidate Apple's and Google's duopoly, as people will be more reluctant to hand over personal info to smaller operators

Btw it's not the same as showing your ID when buying cigarettes. 1) the store doesn't save your ID 2) you don't have to give your ID when buying non ATF products.

 

[Aoligei]

well, I don't drink/buy alcohol, but, being in my 60s I detest being"age checked" if I want to buy alcohol, so I am 100% against Apple asking me for my DOB potentially in the future.
There is no easy answer to this, and Meta has been pushing for the App Store "solution" cause they don't know how to handle it ...

You go to bank, opening bank account or applying for any credit product, you hand over your IDs for verification.

You go to vote, you need show your ID. You go purchase a car, you almost always need drivers licence.

So why are you dead against showing ID?

I can never understand the underlying logic for such.

 

[Tr55]

Meta being in favour of this won’t solve the “problem” for them, at least not for long. Facebook can be accessed on a browser without the App even on a phone.

To all the people supporting this, the next step is user verification on PCs. All these progressive demands are only the thin edge of the wedge.

We see in Britain the end result, government monitoring of all online conversations and coming down very hard on any dissent the current government finds inconvenient.

 

[Graphikos]

The effect of this will be to further consolidate Apple's and Google's duopoly, as people will be more reluctant to hand over personal info to smaller operators

Btw it's not the same as showing your ID when buying cigarettes. 1) the store doesn't save your ID 2) you don't have to give your ID when buying non ATF products.

Why would Apple have to save your ID? Once verified, it's just a flag on the account, no? Doesn't really matter anyway, kids will just lie about their age, as always.

 

[Aoligei]

The effect of this will be to further consolidate Apple's and Google's duopoly, as people will be more reluctant to hand over personal info to smaller operators

Btw it's not the same as showing your ID when buying cigarettes. 1) the store doesn't save your ID 2) you don't have to give your ID when buying non ATF products.

Well, Banks, cell carriers, car dealerships, government entities, tax software etc. all store ID.. So are you basically saying, that you are not going to get bank account, buying car, applying for passport or any government services and file your tax online?

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

no one believed me when I was warning people about the whole ID thing how we are losing more and more of our freedoms everyday in America due to these Laws passing in the name of safety but all it is for them to track and link each user to a device so by giving our ID info.

Other Parties will know who downloaded which App and which device 🙁 it will also be linked to our iCloud Photos/Files as well. So that we can be tracked by **You Know Who’s Administration**

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Instead of proper parenting. Swell. Put the responsibility on Apple. 😡

Are you reading something into this more than just having kids under 17 be able to purchase apps? ANY APPS? What the hell does that have to do with "proper parenting"? I absolutely hate when people play the "proper parenting" card like kids aren't influenced by friends and peers and so parents are a failure if they do? Sheesh...

By your logic, let's just not ask for ID for buying liquor or cigarettes because, you know...proper parenting should just take care of everything.

 

[bradman83]

Btw it's not the same as showing your ID when buying cigarettes. 1) the store doesn't save your ID 2) you don't have to give your ID when buying non ATF products.

I can't speak to how Apple's implementation works but there's nothing saying that Apple or Google would have to save ID document information either. It could scan the ID information, process it, create a unique token ID to confirm age, and then delete the ID information.

 

[Saberon2014]

As a former Mormon, I find this laughable. 60% of Utah is LDS, and aged 12-17 children have to meet with a grown man one on one on a yearly basis in which they are asked sexually explicit questions. But let’s make sure a kid can’t download an app.

 

[jz0309]

You go to bank, opening bank account or applying for any credit product, you hand over your IDs for verification.

You go to vote, you need show your ID. You go purchase a car, you almost always need drivers licence.

So why are you dead against showing ID?

I can never understand the underlying logic for such.

you clearly are comparing apples to bananas in your examples.
Do you show your ID when you purchase a TV?
Do you show your ID when you create an account on MR?
shall I go on?

 

[Aoligei]

Meta being in favour of this won’t solve the “problem” for them, at least not for long. Facebook can be accessed on a browser without the App even on a phone.

To all the people supporting this, the next step is user verification on PCs. All these progressive demands are only the thin edge of the wedge.

We see in Britain the end result, government monitoring of all online conversations and coming down very hard on any dissent the current government finds inconvenient.

By dissent, you mean hate speeches, racist speeches, spreading lies, causing social disorders? If yes, then these people should be punished.

 

[mwd25]

You go to bank, opening bank account or applying for any credit product, you hand over your IDs for verification.

You go to vote, you need show your ID. You go purchase a car, you almost always need drivers licence.

So why are you dead against showing ID?

I can never understand the underlying logic for such.

Because its not necessary. Unless there are massive amounts of under 13 year old kids that are able to buy a $1000 phone, I'm pretty sure its the parents buying it and then handing it over to their kid. There are already tools in place when you set up the Apple account AND the phone, to lock it down and require parents ok to get apps. Parent your kids. Quit making these tech companies do it because people just want to sit there kid in front of tv, like they did years ago, or computer, or in today's world, tablet or phone.

 

[sw1tcher]

Utah today passed the App Store Accountability Act, a law that requires mobile app stores from Apple and Google to verify the age of users rather than having individual apps do age verification.

Btw it's not the same as showing your ID when buying cigarettes. 1) the store doesn't save your ID

Once Apple verifies a person's age (should only need to be done once), there's no reason for Apple to retain that data.

Who knows what an app developer will do with your data. If I had to verify my age, I'd rather do it one time with Apple than with each individual app developer. How many apps do you have? 12? 20? Would you want to give your personal info to that many different people?

 

[kemal]

This, from that state that invented "beer burkas."

 

[bradman83]

Do you show your ID when you create an account on MR?

I dunno about this one, the internet might become a much more pleasant place if social media accounts and other forums/comment boards had to be ID verified and use people's real names. My local newspaper did something similar with their comments board years ago (your username was your actual name) and almost instantly all of the trolls who posted on the board disappeared. (The paper eventually switched to a new forum platform without that requirement and as quickly as they left the trolls came back).

 

[Aoligei]

you clearly are comparing apples to bananas in your examples.
Do you show your ID when you purchase a TV?
Do you show your ID when you create an account on MR?
shall I go on?

No, it is not comparing apples and bananas. You show your ID to acquire some services, whether it is banking services or purchasing car. There is no difference between purchasing a TV, creating account on MR, purchasing apps over online store, if you comfortable showing ID for some services, then there is no reason you don't for other.

If creating account requires ID for age verifications, then sure, I will upload my ID. Everybody should be responsible for their actions or speeches. The reason why we have such toxic online environment, is because everybody is hiding behind some fake name and don't need be responsible for the toxic speeches. If IDs are required to clean up toxic, bullying, hate, racism etc, then all be it.

Couple days ago, I signed up my son for soccer summer camp, I provided my ID and my son's ID.

 

[alchemistmuffin]

Utah's law is set to go into effect on May 7, but it may be delayed due to legal challenges.

Apple believes that requiring invasive data like driver's licenses, passport numbers, and Social Security Numbers to verify age would violate user privacy and safety, but it is not clear if the new system meets Utah's requirements.

This isn’t going to go well and Apple will likely sue the state at this point.

Would not be surprised if Apple loses, rather than complying, they would just remove the App Store or even iTunes or any of Apple’s service from working in Utah, just like they did in UK where instead of complying, Apple just removed the advanced end to end iCloud encryption altogether.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

you clearly are comparing apples to bananas in your examples.
Do you show your ID when you purchase a TV?
Do you show your ID when you create an account on MR?
shall I go on?

Can you get liquor or porn at Best Buy where they sell TV's? How about MR -- do they have adult-only content here?

You're the one comparing apple to bananas.

 

[MallardDuck]

"Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has been pushing for the app store age verification legislation, arguing that age verification at the platform level is the simplest solution. "

So they want age verification before someone can download a browser? because last I looked, they still have websites.

 

[sw1tcher]

you clearly are comparing apples to bananas in your examples.
Do you show your ID when you purchase a TV?
Do you show your ID when you create an account on MR?
shall I go on?

You don't have to show an ID in those instances because there's no law requiring that someone do so. However, there is now a law that requires Utahans to show an ID or some other form of age verification to Apple and Google.

If this is too burdensome for Apple to handle, Apple could always allow sideloading. 😲 🤯 People who don't want to hand over their IDs could bypass the Apple App Store and Google Play store by getting their apps off the internet.

See how great sideloading can be?