Apple rolls out age verification in the UK with iOS 26.4 — right after Meta and Google get fined for not protecting kids
- iOS and iPadOS users in the UK now need to verify their age
- Otherwise, some features may be disabled for those under 18
- Meta and Google were fined for their child safety policies
It appears we’re reaching a tipping point when it comes to under-18 phone usage: Apple is implementing mandatory age verification for iPhone and iPad users in the UK, just a day after Meta and Google were massively fined in a landmark social media lawsuit.
Starting with the rollout of Apple Verification, this is part of the new iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 update for UK users. If you are a UK user, you will be asked to register a credit card or scan an ID to prove that you are 18 years or older, unless Apple has previously confirmed your age.
Apple has all the details here and says the verification process is “required by law in some countries and regions” when it comes to “downloading apps, changing certain settings, or taking other actions with your Apple account.” If you need to verify your account, you will see a message appear in the Settings menu.
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Although this specific device-level age verification step is not required by UK law as it currently stands, recent legislation means it is required for adult websites (including porn sites). The onus is on the sites themselves to carry out the verification, but there have been calls for checks to be carried out at the device level as well.
As the UK government tests a social media restriction for under-16s, a law similar to that implemented in Australia now appears likely. Apple’s intentions may be to preempt such a move and, according to the BBC, it has worked closely with regulator Ofcom on the new feature.
It’s not clear what will happen if you are under 18 and unable to confirm your adult identity. According to Apple’s support document, some features may be restricted or asked to join a Family Sharing group run by a parent, but the wording suggests this will vary on a case-by-case basis.
Another reason why Apple might have made this decision is the historic social media trial that just concluded in Los Angeles: Meta and Google were ordered to pay $6 million (around £4.5 million / AU$8.65 million) to a young woman who claimed that Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube had serious consequences for her mental health.
The woman’s lawyers had described the apps developed by Meta and Google as “addiction machines”, arguing that the technology companies had not done enough to prevent young children from accessing these platforms, nor to protect them from the harms associated with too much screen time.
In a separate trial in New Mexico that reached a verdict earlier this week, Meta was separately ordered to pay a fine of $375 million (around £281 million / AU$541 million) for misleading users about child safety protections in its apps. Meta knew about the presence of child predators on its platforms and did not do enough to block them, the jury decided.
Both Meta and Google plan to appeal: “Adolescent mental health is deeply complex and cannot be tied to a single app,” a Meta spokesperson said. “We will continue to vigorously defend ourselves as every case is different, and we remain confident in our ability to protect teens online.”
And while Apple’s age restrictions have been welcomed by Ofcom and child protection groups, not everyone is happy with them: some see it as another step towards “mass surveillance” and even more tracking and recording of user data, while others argue that protection responsibilities should fall on parents rather than device makers.
However, momentum definitely seems to be moving in one direction right now – and with AI bots another issue the internet is grappling with, it’s likely that more verification checks will start popping up in the future.
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