#age-verification

#age-verification

Unlike showing ID only for age-restricted items in a physical store (like alcohol), the bill would require age checks for everyone right when entering the app store, before any specific app or content is selected. Heightened risks from handling sensitive personal data online: Users would submit identifiers such as driver's licenses or facial scans to multiple parties that might store this information, unlike a quick, temporary check in the real world where the ID is simply viewed and returned.

Apple says users who don't confirm their age "will not be able to download and purchase apps or make in-app purchases." Apple may automatically confirm that users are over 18 using the payment method connected to their account, or the age of their account. Otherwise, Apple may ask users to scan their credit cards to confirm their age.

Children under 13 had their personal information collected and used in ways they could not understand, consent to or control. That left them potentially exposed to content they should not have seen. This is unacceptable and has resulted in today's fine.

a meaningful number of people who lie about their age in order to use our services,

The bill zeroes in on prediction market platforms that let users buy and sell positions on future events through a bid-ask system. Topics can range from elections to economic indicators. The legislation draws clear boundaries, explicitly excluding sports wagering, online casino gaming, internet games, and traditional securities or commodities trading already governed by existing law. If approved, the measure would make it illegal for any prediction market platform operating in Connecticut to allow a resident under 21 to register or open a speculative position.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has imposed a £247,590 penalty on MediaLab.AI, Inc, concluding that the company allowed children to access Imgur for years without putting in place even basic age-checking safeguards required under UK data protection law. Following a long-running investigation, the regulator found that MediaLab failed to establish the age of Imgur users, processed the personal data of children under 13 without parental consent, and did not carry out a data protection impact assessment to identify or mitigate risks to younger users.

As reported by Politico, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced that social platforms will soon be required to implement effective age verification systems, in order to stop young teens from accessing their apps. And to some degree, that does seem to be working. Meta says that it's which it believes belong to young users, while Snapchat has restricted 415k accounts.

There are real technical limitations to accurate and dependable age verification. The Australian government's own trial, published in 2025, found that available age estimation technology was only accurate to within 2-3 years on average. In practice, this means some young people under 16 may be able to bypass protections, potentially leaving them with reduced safeguards, while others over 16 may incorrectly lose access.

These days, the internet "looks a hell of a lot more like Las Vegas than 'Little House on the Prairie.'" That's how Andrew Ferguson, chair of the Federal Trade Commission, described the online experience of children in his opening remarks for an FTC workshop on age verification last week. The event took place on Wednesday, January 28, which also happened to be Data Privacy Day, an annual "holiday" of sorts to raise awareness about privacy issues and encourage better data protection practices.

No longer is gambling confined to Las Vegas casinos. A 2018 landmark ruling by the Supreme Court allowed states to legalize sports betting, opening the doors to new types of online gambling and games of chance. 'Young boys are largely being pulled into this universe online by algorithmically sent messages,' said Steyer of online games that include chances to open loot boxes and 'win' a prize. 'It seems so innocent, but in fact, it's no different than going into a casino and putting down five or $20 on a hand of blackjack.'