Microsoft Introduces Age API for Child Safety in Windows 11

Microsoft has introduced the Age API, a new feature that allows developers to tailor app content according to age bands or brackets without collecting or processing users' date of birth or other personal identifiable information.

The API follows the model established by Apple and replicated by Google, which uses declared age range provided at the time of device registration to adapt content, features, or access controls based on a user's age and verified status.

The Age API includes five age bands: under 10, 10-12, 13-15, 16-17, and 18 or older. This approach is preferred by sites that have had age assurance restrictions imposed on them, such as social media platforms and adult content sites.

However, the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) argues that the declared age range model should be legally classified and governed as a parental control framework, not an age assurance framework.