When I updated my iPhone to the latest version of iOS, I was greeted with an unexpected demand: verify my age in order to continue to have access to some features. Currently, this only applies to people in the UK, but it’s likely coming to your neighborhood, too.
Age Verification on the iPhone
Apple went live with its age verification system in the UK, requiring users to confirm they’re over 18 to access certain features and content. The process is surprisingly simple – once you initiate it, Apple immediately verifies your age if you have a credit card on file or can scan a valid photo ID.
While this change is currently limited to the UK, that may not be the case forever. In the US, several states are implementing some kind of age verification law for adult content or social media services. Major platforms such as Discord have announced plans for global adoption of age verification, although this has currently been delayed due to backlash.
The direction of travel is clear; age verification is something we’re likely to see much more of in the coming years. The more companies, countries, and states that require it, the more likely it is that Apple may roll out the same age verification checks in other locales to ensure compliance with local laws.
I Don’t Completely Hate It
Regardless of your opinion on whether governments should be dictating what people can access on the internet, age verification is becoming a fact of life. While it feels incredibly intrusive, I think that ultimately, Apple’s age verification could have some benefits.
Different sites are using different age verification methods, and having to share your biometric data, passport, or driver’s license information with some third-party verification company you know very little about is understandably concerning. I do feel much more secure doing so through Apple, a company that has a reasonably strong record on privacy, especially since my age was verified immediately, without having to upload any documents.
Apple has a Declared Age Range API that can share a child’s age range with apps and websites so they can provide age-appropriate experiences. It doesn’t seem impossible that Apple could use this API to allow websites to ask your iPhone if you are an adult without the need for uploading your ID.
If this system were to be widely adopted, then it could remove the need to use any other age verification services. While it’s far from ideal, it feels like a much better solution than having to use a different age verification service for every site I visit.
Age Verification Isn’t Going Away
If you’re not in the UK, it may seem like this is someone else’s problem. However, Apple is already going beyond what the UK laws require, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that this is something that’s going to start rolling out in other locations, too.
