Apple unveils new child safety features amid age verification debate

Core Points - Apple has introduced new initiatives aimed at enhancing safety for children and teens using its devices in response to calls for more direct age verification [1][2] - Legislative pressure is increasing in US states, with proposed bills requiring app store operators to verify children's ages and obtain parental consent before minors download apps [2][3] - The new Declared Age Range function will allow developers to access age information volunteered by parents during the setup of Apple child accounts [2][4] Group 1 - The new system streamlines the creation of child accounts, which are mandatory for users under 13 and optional for those up to 18 [4] - Parents can select their child's age range during setup and verify their status already on file with Apple [4][5] - Product pages for third-party apps in the Apple app store will feature additional information to guide parents, including details about user-generated content and parental controls [5] Group 2 - Meta has responded positively to Apple's updates but believes the measures do not go far enough [6][7] - Meta supports legislation that requires app stores to verify a child's age and obtain parental approval before app downloads [7]