Overview
- California’s Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) requires operating systems to collect a user’s age at setup and expose a real-time API indicating one of four age bands: under 13, 13–15, 16–17, or 18+.
- Although the law takes effect on January 1, 2027, an accessible interface for apps to request age data is expected by July 1 of this year, according to reporting that cites the National Law Review.
- Windows is closer to compliance because Microsoft already gathers birth dates through Microsoft Accounts, whereas Linux distributions lack unified accounts and are harder to enforce against.
- Apps distributed through stores such as the Microsoft Store and Steam will be required to query the OS age signal and adjust content or permissions based on the returned age band.
- Noncompliance can trigger penalties of $2,500 per child for negligent violations and $7,500 per child for intentional violations, increasing pressure on vendors to implement the API.