Apple asks UK users to verify age in new software update

The age checks will mean users have to prove they are old enough to access certain services
Apple users across the UK will now be required to provide either a credit card or official identification to verify their age, following the latest software update for iPhones and iPads.

This new measure is designed to ensure users are old enough to access specific services and "take actions on their account".

The move comes amid a growing, industry-wide discussion concerning the online safety of children.

According to an Apple support page, the tech giant will confirm whether a user is 18 or older through credit card verification or by scanning their ID.

As part of the new iOS 26.4 software update, web content filters will also be automatically activated for children, teenagers, and adults who do not complete the age verification process.

These checks coincide with a crucial vote in the House of Lords this Wednesday, where peers are set to reconsider proposals to block under-16s from social media platforms deemed harmful.

A Commons-backed amendment, supported by ministers, could see children banned or restricted from accessing certain social media services, with several bereaved parents urging members of the Lords to "vote to raise the age".

Alongside this, hundreds of teenagers are set to take part in a trial of social media bans, time limits and curfews.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Lord Nash said: “Today, my colleagues in the Lords have the opportunity to again tell our elected colleagues that when it comes to our children and social media, there can be no half measures and no wasted opportunities.

“The damage that social media is doing to our children increases by the day.

“It is now clear that the Government’s consultation is a rushed job with no guaranteed outcome – and worse, one skewed towards the so-called positive benefits of social media.”
If Apple users cannot confirm their age or are not an adult, they will be required to “connect to a family sharing group with an adult who has confirmed their age to take certain actions” on their account.

UK media regulator Ofcom said Apple’s age checks are a “real win for children and families”, according to the BBC.

The Government’s consultation on a potential Australia-style social media ban is set to conclude on May 26.

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