Apple unveils a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing safety for children and teens using its devices. New Declared Age Range function will allow developers to access age information volunteered by parents during an Apple child account setup. Changes came amid growing legislative pressure in US states, including Utah and South Carolina, which have proposed bills requiring app store operators to verify children’s ages. Apple said some features are already available in the latest operating system updates, with the complete rollout of the age rating system and other features expected later this year. The move represents a compromise between Apple’s historical stance of pushing age verification on app creators and the position of companies like Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, that app stores should handle verification for users. The two tech behemoths, as well as Google which owns the Android operating system, have bitterly fought over the issue as big tech companies face increasing parental frustration on harmful content reaching children andTeenagers. The new system, which was announced in a paper published by Apple, is also streamlining the creation of child accounts, which are mandatory for users under 13 and optional for those up to 18.
