In Which I Am Apparently A Child...
So, I saw today's news about DarkSword, and although I don't have anything with iOS that old (v18.7 or older), I noticed a new version of iOS out (26.4) and decided to update.
Bad move. Bad, bad move.
iOS 26.4 implements age verification.
It's very simple - just scan your credit card or government id and bingo.
I don't have a credit card.
The government ID is apparently:
- a driving license (which I don't have)
- a passport (which isn't scanning)
1/2
So, until I can get the passport working as ID, my iPhone is feature-limited.
I can live without the ability to download 18+ apps.
The ability to make in-app purchases? That's a bit more severe; there are plenty of things you can buy in-app that aren't porn or loot boxes.
And until I can somehow get this fixed, I'm a child.
To add insult to injury, I tried to look at the Apple community for similar reports and got this...
Apparently, tech support is for grownups!
Whoop de fucking doo. 2/2
@bryan @jik Hey, everyone does it from time to time, no worries.
One thing that does annoy me slightly is that scanning your passport should apparently work.
If you search, you'll find any number of people a couple of weeks ago saying 'I'm using the beta, passport scanning isn't working' (e.g. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256262372 - which I can't read because I'm not old enough!)
Yet the release seems to have just been rolled out regardless without fixing this, which is really shoddy.
@bryan @jik See also https://piunikaweb.com/2026/03/25/apple-ios-26-4-age-verification-uk-release/ - I'm a long way from being the only person in this particular boat.
*sigh* - it's an odious and ineffective law (see https://www.openrightsgroup.org/campaign/stop-state-censorship-of-online-speech/) and Apple's compliance has been implemented in a way that inconveniences many people who've been using Apple products for decades.
@bryan Eh, so far it's not been a problem. I don't use the apps covered by it, and I don't buy game-related stuff on my phone.
But being hobbled on a device I own, with an account I've been using for 16 years, in the name of a law passed by authoritarian control freaks?
Yeah, that sucks and it pisses me off mightily.
(And not being able to read Apple support forums because I'm not verified is just the cherry on top...)
Gideon Hallett
Bryan 
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