The Australian government has taken a radical step to ensure children’s safety in the digital world, a move that has garnered worldwide attention. The new draft law, which will come into effect on December 10th, completely bans individuals under the age of 16 from having social media accounts. While this legislation has generated significant buzz in the tech world, Apple has also taken action to help developers adapt to this new process, releasing a comprehensive set of technical tools.
Social media ban begins: Apple releases age verification tools for developers
In an official notification sent by Apple to app developers, it detailed new tools for managing age restrictions and ensuring full compliance with the law. Prominent among these tools is the Declared Age Range API, which automatically adjusts app behavior based on user-entered age information and enables the delivery of only filtered experiences suitable for that age group.
Thanks to the company’s new capabilities, developers can now more clearly communicate age restrictions to their users in their app descriptions on the App Store. Furthermore, developers will no longer have to rely on automatic age ratings determined through surveys through App Store Connect, and will now have the ability to manually set a higher minimum age.
Another important feature offered to developers is the Age Approval URL, which directs parents and users to external resources that provide more detailed information about the app’s restrictions. The fact that Australian law imposes significant fines on developers who violate age limits on social media platforms and allow minors access further enhances the importance of these tools.
While legal regulations are tightening, tech-savvy young people are already finding creative ways to bypass these obstacles. Media reports indicate that a 13-year-old bypassed Snapchat’s age verification system using his mother’s photo, and some even tricked facial recognition systems with celebrity photos. While developers are currently reluctant to implement verification mechanisms, Apple’s new move and the tools it offers could make the process mandatory.
So, do you think such strict age restrictions and technological measures can truly protect young people from the negative effects of social media?
