THE CRUNCH
Apple is tightening its App Store rules so that minors find it harder to access online dating apps and AI companions that engage in sexual or romantic content. Any app offering dating or romantic relationship features will be required to carry an 18+ rating, and from 16 November developers must add new content descriptors so that an app's age rating reflects its features. Apple said the change was announced to developers on Monday and extends its recent push on child safety, which has included a global rollout of age assurance technology and expanded parental controls.
The rule could have its biggest effect on AI companion apps, which are often aimed at younger users. TechCrunch notes that services such as Character.AI and Replika let people create AI friends, lovers and fantasy characters, and that xAI launched 3D animated companions last year with unlockable adult capabilities. As of last summer, top AI companion apps across the Apple App Store and Google Play had been downloaded 220 million times globally, per the report.
Apps will also need to declare if they share a user's real-world location with another person or group, a feature that raises privacy concerns when users are unaware it is active. In Brazil, family location-sharing apps can request an official rating from the government's Ministry of Justice and Public Security instead of being required to list them with the A16 rating, as local law requires.