Apple Now Requires Device-Level Age Verification in the UK. Could the US Be Next? (gizmodo.com)
- Reference: 0181165214
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/03/28/2254256/apple-now-requires-device-level-age-verification-in-the-uk-could-the-us-be-next
- Source link: https://gizmodo.com/apple-requires-device-level-age-verification-in-the-uk-now-could-the-us-be-next-2000738481
"Users will be able to confirm their age with a credit card or by scanning an ID."
> For those underage or who have not confirmed their age, Apple will turn on [2]Web Content Filter and Communication Safety , which will not only restrict access to certain apps or websites, but will also monitor messages, shared photo albums, AirDrop, and FaceTime calls for nudity. Apple didn't specify exactly which services and features are banned for under-18 users, but it will likely be in compliance with UK legislation...
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> The British government does not require Apple and other OS providers to institute device-level age checks, but it does restrict minor access to online pornography under the [3]Online Safety Act , which passed in 2023. So far, that restriction has only been implemented at the website level, but UK officials have been worried about easy loopholes to evade the age restrictions, like VPNs.
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> The broader tech industry has been campaigning for some time to use device-level age checks instead in response to the rising tide of [4]under-16 social media and internet bans around the world. Last month, in a [5]landmark social media trial in California, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also [6]supported this idea , saying that conducting age verification "at the level of the phone is just a lot clearer than having every single app out there have to do this separately." Pornhub-operator Aylo had advocated for device-level restrictions in the UK as well, and even sent out [7]letters to Apple, Google, and Microsoft in November asking for OS-level age verification...
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> The most obvious question: Could this be brought stateside?
[1] https://gizmodo.com/apple-requires-device-level-age-verification-in-the-uk-now-could-the-us-be-next-2000738481
[2] https://support.apple.com/en-us/105069
[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer
[4] https://gizmodo.com/pinterest-ceo-backs-social-media-ban-for-kids-under-16-2000736278
[5] https://gizmodo.com/meta-and-google-lose-landmark-case-on-social-media-addiction-2000738131
[6] https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2026/02/18/zuckerberg-tells-jury-regrets-slow-progress-on-spotting-under-13s-on-instagram_6750629_13.html
[7] https://gizmodo.com/pornhub-begs-tech-giants-to-verify-user-ages-on-their-device-report-2000689044
Will, not could, come to the USA (Score:2)
A large number of states, including California, Colorado, Illinois and New York, have already passed or are passing stupid device age-attestation laws like [1]this one [ca.gov]. These laws purport to apply to just about any OS on any general-purpose computing device, if the device is capable of downloading software. If the laws are not fought, it means open-source is in trouble and mass surveillance will become the norm.
[1] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1043
Re: (Score:2)
Texas [1]tried it [politico.com] long before these states, but its law was put on hold by a judge. Utah and Louisiana are also trying to pass or have passed age-verification laws.
[1] https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/05/big-tech-won-in-texas-but-the-age-verification-fight-is-just-getting-started-00709160
Wait!? (Score:2)
Didn't we just have a No Kings day?
ownership (Score:2)
you only have a license to use your iPhone, when you clicked agree.
Facebook and other billionaires are pushing it (Score:2)
It's mandatory for them because there is so much AI slop now it's starting to infect their data sets. Facebook doesn't give a shit about the quality of their advertising because no matter how many bots there are people keep buying the ads. But the advertising is only about 1/3 of their revenue 2/3 of it is selling data to brokers and law enforcement.
There is so much AI slop and it is so sophisticated it's becoming difficult to keep it out of their data sets and that's gradually making the data sets usel