A new law in Australia is slated to go into effect on December 10, whereby under-16s would no longer be eligible to hold social media accounts. Apple, in compliance with this new law, has now published an extensive toolkit to help developers in restricting underage access.
Apple has just , informing them of the various tools that are now at their disposal to ensure compliance with Australia's new law governing underage access to social media accounts.
These tools include:
- Declared Age Range API , which unlocks a range of app behaviors and "age-appropriate experiences," based on a given age input.
- App description on the App Store , whereby developers can inform users of age-related restrictions.
- Higher minimum age rating , which is a tool that allows app developers "to set a higher age rating than the one generated by their responses to the age ratings questionnaire in App Store Connect."
- Age Suitability URL , which provides additional information on the app and its age-related restrictions.
Do note that the Australian law entails significant fines on app developers who refuse to comply with restrictions on the underage access to social media platforms.
Even so, . For instance, one enterprising 13-year-old used her mother's photograph to bypass Snapchat's manifestly crude age verification mechanism. Another anecdote claims of using Beyoncé's face!
App developers are, understandably, not too keen on implementing Australia's new law, as evidenced by their half-hearted age verification mechanisms. Apple's latest notification might prove to be an impetus for such developers to offer a more robust authentication mechanism.
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