The new Play Age Signal API does not rely on a selfie or ID; instead, it uses the Family Link data, as regulators increase scrutiny of the app store.
Google is expanding its age-verification system on the Play Store to every country, including the United States, as regulators worldwide increase pressure on app stores to confirm users’ ages. The company announced on Wednesday, July 29, that its Play Age Signal API will be available globally by the end of 2026, having first launched in beta the previous year.
How the System Works
Unlike many age-verification tools, the Play Age Signal API does not require a selfie or ID. It uses Family Link data for parental controls, allowing parents to set the age range for their child’s account. The ranges have been set lower than those in Google’s Family Link for parental control. Parents may set an age between 16 and 17, for example, and the child will have access to only the corresponding content. Google notes that age ranges are dynamic and update as children grow older.
Regulatory Backdrop
The move is notable given the current push in several governments to require age verification at the app-store level for Google Play and Apple’s App Store, as well as legislation in several US states including Texas, Louisiana, and Utah which seek to require age identification to access adult content online, with privacy advocates warning that an increasingly age-gated internet risks undermining anonymity altogether.
Questions Over Effectiveness
Doubts remain about how well the Play Age Signal API can actually prevent determined minors from accessing age-inappropriate apps. Age data sharing is voluntary, not all parents will set up age ranges for their children, and young users can simply create separate accounts with false birthdates to bypass the system. Developers are also not required to adopt the API at all.
It remains unclear whether this rollout will be sufficient to help Google meet varying legal requirements across jurisdictions, even as the Play Store continues to rely on its existing content-rating system for apps.
