Apple has begun requiring age verification and parental consent for new App Store accounts in Texas, complying with a state law that took effect Thursday after a court lifted an injunction that had been blocking it.
The change stems from Texas Senate Bill 2420, which imposes age-assurance requirements on app marketplaces and developers. Under the rules, anyone in Texas creating a new Apple Account must confirm whether they are 18 or older.
All new Apple Accounts for users under 18 will be required to join a Family Sharing group, and a parent or guardian will have to approve App Store downloads, app purchases and transactions made through Apple’s in-app purchase system. Parents will also be able to revoke consent for an app they previously approved for their child.
For developers, the law introduces new obligations. Apple is directing them to adopt its Declared Age Range API to receive age categories for new Texas users, and developers are responsible for applying the appropriate age restrictions. They must also obtain parental consent before a minor can download an app and re-obtain it when an app undergoes a “significant change.”
Apple has implemented the requirements reluctantly, having argued that broad age-verification mandates raise privacy concerns. The Texas measure is part of a wider push by states to require age checks for app stores and online services, a trend that is reshaping how platforms handle younger users.
