Google has announced the global rollout of its Play Age Signals API, which aims to assist developers in verifying user ages while maintaining privacy. This initiative comes in response to increasing online age verification requirements from governments worldwide, including ID requirements for accessing adult content and regulations affecting app stores in several US states.
The system does not require ID or selfie verification and is linked to Google's Family Link app, allowing parents to set age ranges for their children's managed accounts. For instance, parents can set a range of 16–17 years, enabling apps to customize experiences and content for teenagers. Google states that these age ranges are dynamic and can change as users age, with parents having the option to adjust or disable these settings at any time. Participation in this system is optional for child accounts.