Google's "privacy-preserving" age verification system is coming to the Play Store

Ars Technica reports that Google is expanding its Play Age Signals API to meet government age verification mandates now taking effect worldwide. The system uses Google's existing Family Link parental controls—instead of requiring ID or selfie verification, parents set age ranges for their children's managed accounts, such as sixteen to seventeen. Apps can then tailor content based on those age brackets, which update dynamically as kids grow older. The system is fully opt-in for child accounts and can be disabled anytime. Google frames this as privacy-preserving, allowing age verification without subjecting children to identity verification.

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