California has passed a new law requiring every operating system (OS)—Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux distributions, and even SteamOS—to implement age verification during account setup.
The Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), which Governor Gavin Newsom signed in 2025, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. The law targets how systems classify users by age and then give that information to apps that run on those systems, Tom’s Hardware reports.
Under this law, operating systems must ask for a date of birth or age when someone creates an account on a device. The system then stores that information and assigns the user to one of four age brackets:
Australia and the UK did something similar lately, but not at the OS level; they’re focusing more on the apps and websites. Australia now requires social platforms to stop under‑16s from using their services unless they verify age with methods more reliable than a self-reported birthdate.
While the UK’s Online Safety Act and Age-Appropriate Design Code requires platforms to check users’ ages, they must also adjust their services and how they handle children’s data, especially when it comes to harmful content and data use.
Lawmakers say California’s new law could help make online services safer for children without forcing users to upload IDs or use biometric checks. Meanwhile, privacy advocates warn that adding an OS‑level age flag normalizes more tracking of users and could lead to stronger checks later.
App developers also face new compliance risks in California, because regulators can punish them if they ignore age data or handle minors’ profiles incorrectly.