Google Pushes Back Against App Store-Based Age Verification
In a recent move, tech giant Google firmly rejected the idea of enforcing age verification through app stores on devices, such as those built into Android and iOS systems. This stance comes amid growing calls in Europe to tighten access to age-restricted content—including social media platforms—for younger users, especially those under 15.
Europe’s Growing Concern Over Youth Online Safety
Across Europe, governments are increasingly pressing for regulatory measures to curb children’s exposure to harmful online content. Paris, among other capitals, advocates for continent-wide rules that would effectively block under-15s from accessing social networks. The motivations behind these moves include rising worries over addiction, cyberbullying, and the spread of hate speech.
The Debate Around App Store Age Data
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, proposed that age verification be tied to user data from app stores embedded in operating systems. However, Google criticized this approach as “ineffective” and potentially risky. According to Google’s blog post, relying on app store age data would require sharing detailed age information with millions of app developers, many of whom operate apps unrelated to age-restricted content—think of simple utility apps like flashlights.
Google warned this method could inadvertently compromise children's privacy and security while leaving significant content access routes unsecured, such as desktop browsers or shared family devices.
Apple Joins the Opposition
Apple, whose App Store serves all iOS devices including iPhones and iPads, has also expressed reservations. The company advocates for handling age verification directly within the websites and apps hosting age-sensitive content rather than at the operating system or app store level, viewing this as a more precise and safer approach.
Meta’s Push for Regulatory Change
Meta has been actively campaigning for European legislation mandating app store-based age verification. The company argues such regulations would create a safer ecosystem for teens by integrating protections at the foundational platform level. However, Europe’s existing Digital Services Act delegates the responsibility for age checks to individual platforms, not to operating systems or app stores.
Technical and Privacy Concerns Highlighted
Google also cautioned that shifting age verification to the app store level would entail reengineering the decentralized nature of the web in unpredictable ways. This concern is shared by some industry players, including Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company, which has supported app store age checks but acknowledges the technical complexities involved.
The Road Ahead
As discussions continue in Brussels and among European capitals, the debate highlights a challenging balance between safeguarding young users and protecting privacy and usability online. The diverging views from major tech firms underline the complexities in designing effective, user-friendly, and privacy-conscious age verification systems.
