Mastodawn

I swear, please, if you are writing about Apple's new age verification stuff in iOS, please do not say that it is there to comply with the #OnlineSafetyAct.

The OSA applies to user-to-user and search services. iOS isn't a service that comes within the remit of the OSA, nor are (as far as I can tell) pretty much anything an Apple account is used for.

They may be trying to pre-emptively comply with other laws (such as California's AB-1043), but the OSA does not require OS-level age verification.

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James Baker 9h ago

@tommorris Given how the ICO is now interpreting U.K. GDPR I think it’s more accurate to say that is the likely reason. See https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2026/03/joint-statement-from-ico-and-ofcom-on-age-assurance/

Joint statement from ICO and Ofcom on age assurance

We have published a joint statement with Ofcom about the main areas of interaction between online safety and data protection as they relate to age assurance.

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Tom Morris

@JamesBaker was on my to-read list for later but ugh