Apple is tightening its App Store rules so minors can’t access dating apps or AI companions offering “sexual or romantic content” — all such apps will now require an 18+ age rating starting November 16.
Apple (Credits: TechCrunch)
Apple Restricts Dating Apps and AI Companions to 18+ Users
Apple announced the policy change to developers on Monday, following its earlier rollout of global age assurance technology and new parental controls aimed at protecting children.
While most major dating services already restrict their platforms to adults, Apple’s new rule will require all apps offering dating or romantic relationship features to carry an 18+ rating. From November 16, developers must include new content descriptors so their app’s age rating accurately reflects its features.
How the 18+ Rule Hits AI Companion Apps
The rule could have its biggest impact on AI companion apps, where romantic or romantic-adjacent functionality is often just one feature among many. Apps like Character.AI and Replika — frequently marketed to younger users — let people create AI companions including friends, lovers, boyfriends, girlfriends and fantasy characters.
xAI also launched 3D animated AI companions last year that allowed users to unlock NSFW capabilities. As of last summer, top AI companion apps across the Apple App Store and Google Play had been downloaded 220 million times globally, making the rating change potentially far-reaching.
Location-Sharing Disclosure Also Required
In addition to “dating and relationships,” apps will now have to declare whether they share a user’s real-world location with another person or group — a privacy disclosure with obvious relevance for apps used by minors. In Brazil, family location-sharing apps can instead request an official rating from the government’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
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Source: TechCrunch AI — read the full story there.
