Apple’s new ID checks dubbed as ‘ransomware’ as UK rollout begins
Apple is rolling out mandatory age verification checks for iPhone and iPad users in the UK, prompting criticism from privacy campaigners who have likened the move to ‘ransomware’.
The changes introduced by the latest iOS update will require users to confirm they are over 18 to access certain apps and services.
Those who do not verify their age, or indeed are identified as underage, will automatically have web content filters applied to their devices.
Users will be asked to confirm their age after installing the update, with options including providing a credit card, scanning an official ID, or using existing account data such as payment history.
A message displayed on devices reads: “UK law requires you to confirm you are an adult to change content restrictions.”
The move comes as tech firms face growing pressure to strengthen protections for children online under the UK’s Online Safety Act.
Privacy backlash
UK regulator Ofcom welcomed Apple’s update, calling it “a real win for children and families” and part of a broader effort to make digital services safer for younger users.
However, Big Brother Watch said Apple had “crossed the Rubicon” by introducing device-level checks.
Silkie Carlo, Big Brother Watch director, described the update as “more like ransomware”, adding that it effectively forces users to hand over sensitive personal data or face restricted access.
She warned the changes could leave “millions of Brits owning a child’s device” unless they comply, adding that online safety should not rely on “sweeping, draconian shock demands by foreign companies for all of our IDs and credit cards”.
Apple said it may also use signals such as the length of time an account has been active to help determine a user’s age. Children under 13 will not be able to create accounts without parental approval.
The development follows earlier rules requiring certain websites, particularly those hosting adult content, to implement robust age checks.
Those measures have already sparked concerns about data privacy and the potential for sensitive information to be exposed.
Apple’s move goes further by bringing age verification directly onto devices, rather than limiting it to individual platforms.
The rollout comes amid the UK government’s wider push to address online harms. Ministers are currently trialling social media restrictions for teenagers and consulting on whether to introduce a full ban for under-16s.
Regulators have also been working with technology firms on “highly effective age assurance” standards, which include methods such as photo ID matching, credit card verification and facial age estimation, though officials have stopped short of mandating a single approach.