iPhone maker Apple (AAPL) said yesterday that it will introduce “Age Assurance” technology to protect child privacy. Several U.S. states and federal regulators are considering different ways through which parents can share the age of their children with app developers while downloading apps. There is a rift between lawmakers on whether the child verification policy should be the responsibility of the app developers or the app stores.
Apple to Assure a Child’s Age Range
Apple’s new age assurance technology will allow parents to input the child’s correct age while setting up an account. It’s at the parents’ discretion to decide then whether to allow the child to share a “declared age range” before downloading apps from third-party developers. Parents will have the option to turn off the age-range sharing button.
Through this option, a child can input an age range instead of sharing the exact birthday or government identification details. Apple has always sought to protect users’ private data. By giving an age range, users do not have to share any sensitive information.
Apple’s thought stems from the fact that there are very few apps or content that is age restricted. Asking app stores to verify the ages of all users will force them to disclose sensitive information to prove their age, even if some may not end up using such apps.
Sharing Age Info Is a Conflicting Issue
Appropriate restrictions on apps that are not eligible for children under 18 have always been an issue. Lawmakers in Utah and South Carolina are actually considering laws that would require app stores, including Google’s (GOOGL) Android operating system and Apple iOS, to verify the users’ age.
Meta Platforms (META), for instance, has always insisted that app stores must verify the users’ age before allowing for downloads. A spokesperson for Meta said that parents want to be the final deciders on which apps their teens should use. Therefore, Meta supports laws that require exact age disclosure and obtaining parents’ approval before downloading an app.
Is AAPL Stock a Good Buy?
Analysts remain divided on Apple’s stock forecast. On TipRanks, AAPL stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 18 Buys, 11 Holds, and four Sell ratings. Also, the average Apple price target of $250.48 implies 5.6% upside potential from current levels. In the past year, AAPL stock has gained 31.4%.
