🚨🚨RED ALERT!!! Texas just opened the gates to digital tyranny. SB2420, a dystopian UK-style online ID law, will force Texans by Jan 2026 to verify their age to access the most basic online services marking the first step towards nationwide Digital ID.
— ZeeeMediaOfficial (@zeeemedia) October 16, 2025
Starting on January 1, 2026, Apple users located in Texas will need to confirm whether they are 18 years or older when creating an Apple account. Apple Accounts for users under 18 will be required to join a Family Sharing group, and parents will need to provide consent for all App Store downloads, app purchases, and in-app transactions.
Developers will also need to make changes to their apps to comply with the law. To assist developers, Apple plans to update the Declared Age Range API to provide the required age categories for new account users in Texas. Apple is also creating APIs that will let developers invoke a system experience to allow the user to request that parental consent be re-obtained. Parents will also be able to revoke consent to prevent a minor from using an app.
Apple has been fighting against age assurance requirements in Texas and other states like Utah and Louisiana, because of the data collection required to determine user age. Apple says that SB2420 will force users to share personally identifiable information to download apps.
While we share the goal of strengthening kids’ online safety, we are concerned that SB2420 impacts the privacy of users by requiring the collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information to download any app, even if a user simply wants to check the weather or sports scores. Apple will continue to provide parents and developers with industry-leading tools that help enhance child safety while safeguarding privacy within the constraints of the law.
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/08/app-store-changes-texas-age-verification/