Apple to require 18+ age ratings for dating apps and AI companions
Developers must declare dating, romance and location-sharing features under new App Store age rating rules announced Monday.
Key facts
Story- Apple will ask developers to declare dating and location-sharing features for App Store age ratings.
- Apps with dating or relationship features will get a minimum age rating of 18.
- Location-sharing apps may see changes to their minimum age rating in some regions.
Apple will require developers to disclose whether their apps allow dating or romantic interaction, and will set a minimum age rating of 18 for those that do. The new rules were announced on Monday, 3 November.
The disclosures cover two kinds of interaction. Developers must say whether their apps let real people date or form relationships, and whether they include romantic or sexual features with virtual AI companions. Apps that meet either test will be rated for users 18 and over.
Apple also wants to know whether an app lets users share their real-world location with others. Those apps may see their minimum age rating raised in some regions, depending on local rules. Which regions are affected, and by how much, has not been specified.
What the change covers
The rules apply to apps that are already on the App Store and to new submissions. When the change takes effect and how Apple will check developers' declarations has not been specified.
The change matters for parents and for anyone using dating or AI companion apps. Teenagers who download such apps through the App Store would be blocked by the 18+ rating, if the rating is enforced on their accounts. How Apple will verify a user's age has not been specified.
How many apps the change will affect has not been disclosed. Whether developers have objected to the rules is not yet known.
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