Google’s “privacy-preserving” age verification system is coming to the Play Store - Ars Technica

What the report says

Ars Technica reports that Google is expanding its Play Age Signals API, a “privacy-preserving” age-verification tool for Google Play, as governments increasingly require app stores and online services to check users’ ages. Rather than asking for identity documents or selfie checks, Google’s approach is tied to Family Link, its parental controls system for managed child accounts.

Under the system described by Ars, parents can choose to assign broad age bands to a child’s account, such as a teen range, and allow apps to receive that range so they can adjust content or access. Google says the ranges can update as children get older. The feature is optional for parents, can be disabled, and is not automatically required for every child account.

Google began testing the API last year, initially in Brazil, while several U.S. states moved toward laws placing age-verification duties on app stores. Ars notes that Texas, Louisiana and Utah have related laws taking effect, and that the U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed the Texas measure to proceed by pausing a lower-court injunction. The Computer & Communications Industry Association, which represents technology companies, has opposed such laws.

According to Ars, Google is now starting a wider rollout, with Australia and Canada next and developer access expected in all countries, including the United States, by the end of 2026. The system may help Google and app developers address compliance demands, but it has limits: parents must opt in, developers must use the API, and minors could still avoid it by using other accounts or misrepresenting their age.