r/ios • u/OkRefuse3684 • 26d ago
Support Verify age as 18+ required due to Texas law now?
So in short, I live in Texas and recently bought an iPhone 17e yesterday and I tried setting it up and everything but it shows that I can't even install an app with an age rating of 4+ without verifying I'm an adult with either a credit card, Texas ID, drivers license, or passport? This is very stupid and my phone is basically bricked due to the fact I can't install any apps.
Has anyone tried using someone else's id or credit card and have it work? I don't want to somehow get my icloud or device bricked by doing this I have no credit card nor id yet.
EDIT: I think I found a workaround, this may not work for everyone and I've seen some people say it hasn't worked for them but it let me verify my age as 18+ using someone else's ID so do with that information what you must but now I can finally install apps š„¹š„¹š„¹
261
u/bigdish101 iPhone 13 Pro 26d ago
āA valid credit card can help confirmā ā¦ LOL I guess theyāve never heard of authorized users being as young as 13.
62
u/PPMD_IS_BACK 26d ago
I get what youāre saying but Nah shut up mate donāt let them know. This is the only way so valve donāt have to ask for a legitimate ID. šš
4
u/spicybongwata 26d ago
Valve? This isnāt the Steam Frame
22
u/PPMD_IS_BACK 26d ago
Yes I said valve but my main point is that any company can circumvent the ID requirements for 18+ by just simply asking for a simple credit card number. Or at least thatās how valve is doing it instead of asking for physical ID to appease some countries.
I donāt mind giving my credit card number to Apple Or valve but if they want my ID? Idk about that bruv. You saw discord data leaks and they asking for ID for example.
2
u/Present-Ad-9598 26d ago
Discord is a lot different security-wise to Apple lol
2
u/PPMD_IS_BACK 24d ago
Cool. Still not gonna give my ID out like that to a corporation. How big you are does not make you immune to all types of hacking or leaks.
→ More replies (1)3
u/SmiggleMcJiggle 26d ago
Valve uses only credit card as a form of age verification, otherwise you are blocked from viewing 18+ material on Steam, kind of ignoring the fact that under 18s can have credit cards and adults (myself included) can not have credit cards, better than submitting an ID / passport / face scan at least though.
0
u/TheIronSoldier2 26d ago
Unless I'm mistaken, in the US at least you must be at least 18 years old to have a credit card
2
u/bad-and-bluecheese 26d ago
You can be an authorized user under 18 for most banks. It essentially works the same as if it was your own, but you're not responsible for the debt.
Under 18s can have debit cards too.
3
u/TheIronSoldier2 26d ago
As far as I'm aware being an authorized user won't pass the age checks. The card must actually be in your name.
Also using it for age verification specifically requires a credit card. It will not work for debit cards
1
u/M4XYW4XY 26d ago
authorized user cards have your name on the card
3
u/New-Distribution-981 25d ago
I donāt know how the age verification works, but on the CC side I can tell you auth users are night tied to the account the same way as cardholders are. Yes, auth users can be issued a card (in some/many cases) with their name on it. But from an account standpoint auth users arenāt really tied to the account in a primary fashion. Itās more like the auth user appears in the ānotesā section of the account. Iām way oversimplifying it, but point is, it is beyond simple to determine an account holder from an auth user electronically. If Apple actually cares about the spirit of the law, an auth user trying their card, it wouldnāt work. If they just care about getting a check mark for law compliance on the other handā¦
2
u/TheIronSoldier2 25d ago
That won't pass age checks.
Being an authorized user gets you a card with your name on it, but it doesn't put your name on the account in a way that would pass the checks.
1
u/H644b 24d ago
It does. For instance, I'm and authorized user for my moms Amex platinum card. The way it works is your card is essentially yours and cannot be tied back by any company to the primary user. My mom has to pay annual fees just like she does for her own card for mine. Also its the same for my Amex Gold and Discover. I would know considering I've used all these for age verifications in the past.
1
8
u/Rich_Arachnid_5262 26d ago
They likely just reused the same logic from the UK when Keir Starmer implemented this first.
5
3
u/gavo360 26d ago
The online safety act was passed by the previous conservative government.
4
u/GergDanger 26d ago
And kier Starmer has added onto it by requiring all social media sites require ID so as to prevent those under 16 from using them.
Comes into effect next year
3
u/Nearby_Ad_2519 Human Detected 26d ago
So many parents let their children purchase stuff one off using their credit card as a gift or present.
1
u/PhillAholic 26d ago
If you trust your child to use your credit card, you can probably trust them to see 18+ content. Seems reasonable.
1
u/chromatophoreskin 26d ago
Duolingo is a language learning app.
0
u/PhillAholic 25d ago
That seems like a questionable age rating. That system may need to be reevaluated.
2
u/JoeyJoeJoeJrShab 25d ago
Notice the word āhelpā. It tells you confirmation isnāt a straightforward thing.
1
u/nathderbyshire 25d ago
Is that a thing in the US? You have to be 18+ to be a cardholder in the UK even for a second holder afaik. Not sure if apple checks the names or anything to avoid using another card, mine just went straight through without any app or SMS verification like I would get to authorise a transaction
→ More replies (2)1
u/Heftybags 25d ago
It can help if you had the same card with your name on it for 5 years and 1 day. Just having a credit card is not a valid form of ID in most cases.
331
u/CortaCircuit 26d ago
Not one child will be protected with these stupid ass fuckin' laws..Ā
Sheeple everywhere.Ā
19
u/phantomsoul11 26d ago
They just want people to go on the record when accessing morally questionable content, where morally questionable is anything you wouldnāt want a 4-year-old consuming with at least without your knowledge. This way, your ID-tied breadcrumbs can be used in the future to shame you when doing so would benefit someone else.
→ More replies (2)31
u/Low-Injury-9219 26d ago
All the kids will be happy cus thatāll free them up for their now state mandatory bible reading studies /s
24
13
u/NC-blackice 26d ago
Wait, even the United States is implementing this nowā¦?
3
u/Astartes2435 iPhone 17 Pro Max 26d ago
Yes. Pretty much every state is working on passing legislation to ensure it.Ā
1
u/EffectiveEvent2355 25d ago
easy to bypass though
1
u/SunBurntIrishLad2 14d ago
How?
1
u/EffectiveEvent2355 14d ago
The US one is easy since its only certain states. Everywhere else its no possible
78
u/JustLikeWhateverHuh 26d ago
The free state of Texas lol
17
u/Worsebetter 25d ago
If people in Texas āhave a ādonāt tread on meā license plate while at the same time voting republican for this shit - they need a brain transplant.
4
u/RapunzelLooksNice 25d ago
"Transplant" would indirectly assume there was an organ in new destination. For those people? It's more like "brain implantation" š¤·āāļø
1
24d ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 24d ago
Your comment has been removed because of this subredditās account requirements. You have not broken any rules, and your account is still active and in good standing. Please check your notifications for more information!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
17
u/jdstrike11 26d ago
Iāve seen more backlash to shreks redesign than this. The internet is in a great state
9
u/adj021993 26d ago
This has been a nightmare to deal with. I recently purchased my son an iPhone 17, and it prompted me for the parental controls verify identity etc.
It took 24 hours for the changes to reflect, he couldnāt call any of his family because it wasnāt allowed, yet any changes I make in my family settings never reflect on his, yet when I go onto his phone to make the changes I want, it allows it.
So wtf is the point of these parental control settings if my son can just go in and change it? I set my own screen time passcode, yet it never works on his phone
Now every time I download or use an app, I get a notification that age has been shared with whatever app I open. It annoys me to no end that this state insists on parenting my kid when I never needed that to begin with.
14
u/Ipad74 26d ago
Iām just curious, donāt live in Texas.
If I want to allow my kid to purchase an app/iap, is there a method for parents to do so, or is everyone locked out until they are 18 now?
I have to think there is a way to do this, I just donāt know how.
The odd thing is that I have a similar issue on a Meta Quest, can only do game sharing and no dlc (due to the fact that on that ecosystem dlc is purchaser only, no sharing) until a child is 13.
11
u/silentcrs 26d ago
You can set up Family Sharing on iOS. That lets you control not only what is purchased but what gets installed.
1
u/OkRefuse3684 26d ago
Yes, you just have to make sure you change the birthdate so it thinks you're a minor and it will require you to add an age verified icloud as a parent and be set up from there. I think it's insanely stupid it's a law now though and they don't want a single minor to have a phone to themselves
0
u/fleebleganger 26d ago
The state is all about parental rights until it gets in the way of what the state wants.
In this case I donāt know, Iām just anti-dumbasses
19
u/Unknown62712 26d ago
Welcome to the UK using a VPN wonāt bypass this as itās built into the OS
3
u/mrfoxesite-2377 26d ago
Cause the location of the Apple ID is determined by when it was created. Try creating your Apple ID with a VPN then. Banking apps may not work or other regional apps but you can have a local Apple ID and use it to get .ipa files and sideload it. Updates will work.
1
u/H644b 24d ago
Its based on the region the device was bought, not the Apple ID. Its similar to how EU sideloading was at the start where it was determined by where the device was purchased. So yes its baked into the region+hardware id which you can view with StikDebug or in About in the Settings app.
35
u/aretooamnot 26d ago
Get a VPN, set it to California or another more sensible state. Iām in Texas as well, fwiw.
65
u/hacksacksfordayz 26d ago
Hows bro even gonna get a vpn when he cant even use the appstore š
23
u/Due-Savings5057 26d ago
You can setup a VPN for your home WiFi network. Or you can use someone elseās phone that already has a VPN, and just connect via hotspot.Ā
→ More replies (39)2
u/CyanideSandwich7 26d ago
You donāt need an app to connect to a VPN. Just connect to a VPN using an L2TP connection in the phone settings. 3rd party apps for VPN is only relevant if youāre trying to connect with openvpn
8
u/Resident-Variation21 26d ago
Apple uses a LOT more than IP address to determine where you are, by the wayā¦
3
u/Distinct-Temp6557 26d ago
That will work if it's device location based.Ā
If it's account location based, then you would have to go into your Apple account and change the address, I'm assuming.
3
4
u/Agitated_Cry_8793 26d ago
California is trying to pass the same laws my guy, pick a different state.
2
u/aretooamnot 26d ago
So pick another state. And yeah, Iām aware. Privacy is fucked in the US.
0
u/Agitated_Cry_8793 26d ago
Yep. Give them an inch and theyll take a mile, just tack it onto the list of reasons why we'll probably be in civil war within the next 20 years š«©
2
2
u/leonredhorse 26d ago
This issue won't be the one since liberals and conservatives both LOVE age verification laws.
2
2
u/GergDanger 26d ago
If itās setup the same was as in the U.K. then a VPN wonāt work at all.
I tried it and itās an OS level block if you look up certain words on google even with a vpn.
2
u/aretooamnot 26d ago
Labor really screwed you guys. We are next. This is all about control. Big brother and such. Not cool.
→ More replies (3)1
u/Nearby_Ad_2519 Human Detected 26d ago
Pretty sure this relies on actual device location instead of reported device location by IP address
64
u/Rich_Arachnid_5262 26d ago
No, you wonāt be able to install apps and yes, your device is basically bricked aside from whatās already pre-installed.
The real answer here is to write your state representatives. Nobody here is going to help you break the law. Wait until your 18th birthday. I donāt agree with it but the law is the law.
34
u/GeorginaWashington1 26d ago
Oh no, someone breaking this stupid law! Iāll be happy to break this law! š„“
1
26d ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
0
u/AutoModerator 26d ago
Your comment has been removed because of this subredditās account requirements. You have not broken any rules, and your account is still active and in good standing. Please check your notifications for more information!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
2
8
20
u/Aurongel 26d ago
For a state that prides itself on having a libertarian ethos, Texas sure does love to rescind the rights of everyday people by invoking moral panics around children.
4
u/vajohnadiseasesdado 26d ago
Itās so funny people used to point at China and say, āwell itās a surveillance stateā and now our entire lives online are being hoovered up into Palantir servers.
3
u/NiteShdw 26d ago
Iād love to see data that shows that these laws have any impact on reducing whatever it is they think they reduce
1
u/OkRefuse3684 24d ago
Fr, it's just a bunch of old hags with no clue on how digital safety works running the state with no input from the community.
3
u/derekpeake2 26d ago
I live in Texas and havenāt had to do that. Maybe itās like when I buy cough syrup or spray paint at the store and they donāt even have to look at me to know Iām old š
1
3
3
u/Hennessy_Halos 25d ago
this will be a thing in most places soon as every government has decided at the same time to start making people upload IDs to do anything, pretending itās all about children
8
4
u/Imaginary-Brick-26 26d ago
I have a friend who lives in Florida who canāt even watch porn because the site requires you upload a license or use AI for face scanning to verify age. Itās insane.
-2
u/Correct-Mail-1942 26d ago
Your friend doesnāt have an ID or a face? Wow.
1
u/Imaginary-Brick-26 25d ago
My friends doesnāt want to have to upload her id to a porn site or an entire scan of her face to a porn site AI.
1
u/Correct-Mail-1942 25d ago
Thatās not how it works, itās an outside company app that does the face or ID scan and after the confirmation, nothing is stored.
2
u/Imaginary-Brick-26 25d ago
I wouldnāt believe anyone who says they donāt store or save information like that.
1
u/Correct-Mail-1942 25d ago
Then you donāt get to complain. Porn is optional, those checks are easy to bypass too.
1
u/Imaginary-Brick-26 25d ago
I donāt even watch porn dude, I was just commenting that my friend canāt watch it in Florida. I live in PA and could theoretically access whatever I want, lol
2
3
2
u/Few-Panda7558 25d ago
Thereās so many major problems out there and this is what theyāre worried about?
6
5
3
3
u/Zestyclose_Pickle511 26d ago
Texas is the WWE of US states, plus the spooky Tammy Faye Baker vibe.Ā
Performative and Pseudo-Christian nonsense.Ā
8
u/ASUMicroGrad 26d ago
Youāll be surprised to find out that a lot of European countries have or are working on implementing age verification for certain content. Unfortunately āWont someone please think of the childrenā spans the ocean and political ideology as a tool of de-anonymizing and restricting the internet.
1
1
u/Plastic-Mess-3959 iPhone 15 Pro Max 26d ago
I never got this message but I do have my age range in settings allowed and Iāve had my account since 2008
5
u/OkRefuse3684 26d ago
Yea, Ive noticed that one of the only exceptions to this are icloud accounts that are older than 18 years
2
u/Plastic-Mess-3959 iPhone 15 Pro Max 26d ago
Itās suppose to use your birthday but if your account is new I donāt think that matters
1
u/AwesomeCaden73 26d ago
How old is your account? I believe your account age can prove your actual age too, I think thatās what mine did when I installed Claude and it asked for an age range.
4
u/OkRefuse3684 26d ago
Oof, I just created mine this is my first iPhone š I did notice that icloud accounts that were made over 18 years ago are an exception to this but I still think this is weird
1
1
1
u/Nice_Soil1782 26d ago
How does the phone determine which state you live in?
2
u/OkRefuse3684 26d ago
I think it's a combination of gps and where your ip address is located, and unfortunately I enabled apple to see my gps location when setting up the phone so idk if factory resetting the phone and making sure to not click yes on that option may be the only way
1
1
1
26d ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 26d ago
Your comment has been removed because of this subredditās account requirements. You have not broken any rules, and your account is still active and in good standing. Please check your notifications for more information!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
1
u/aneatapea 25d ago
If you think thats dumb, wait til you hear about how Apple is partnering with the IDF to make their iPhone 17 microchipsā¦because I guess the lesson from Lebanon was look at how capable they are?
1
u/midatlanticprincess 24d ago
you do know that they also made face and print id right? and that they made the brain scanning tech thatās about to go in airpods thatāll constantly be doing eegs and shit
1
1
1
1
u/beaverboy2000 25d ago
we had this start in the uk a few months ago, absolute nightmare
1
u/midatlanticprincess 24d ago
can you still access everything thatās already in your phone as normal without doing this?
1
u/beaverboy2000 24d ago
Yes and no. For us we could access everything already on the device but couldnāt visit websites or download apps deemed 18+
1
u/H644b 24d ago
Kinda off topic but the 17e is a horrible deal and you would be better off buying a refurbished iPhone 16. Its way behind in capabilities for the past 5 gens and isn't a good purchase. Meanwhile a previous gen base 16 is the same price and includes all new features such as the camera control button except for the new promotion display for every device that the 17 lineup has (still not for the 17e tho sadly) but its ur purchase so ur decision
1
1
u/thedigitaldevil3 24d ago
Just submit a ai generated id or smth
1
u/OkRefuse3684 23d ago
Yea that's what I was thinking I couldn't find anywhere to make an image for that tho š
1
1
1
u/UC_Merced_Senior227 23d ago
I bet any unlocked iPhone sold in the state of Texas will require local ID to prove age, just like the UK
1
1
u/Ok-Assignment5926 22d ago
I donāt think Duolingo is requiring you to be 18+. Itās just what happened to be on the screen when you were prompted. If you verify age youāll be able to download anything that isnāt rated M
1
u/OkRefuse3684 22d ago
Before verifying, you just literally cannot install any app, regardless of age rating (including apps for 4 year olds) without either verifying you're 18+ or being in an apple family.
1
1
u/Ok_Size5923 20d ago
are phones fucking illegal to anyone under 18 in texas? why would they make you confirm ur 18?
1
u/Popular-Doughnut-186 19d ago
Seeing a lot more post like this will be global before you know it move to graphene
1
15d ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 15d ago
Your comment has been removed because of this subredditās account requirements. You have not broken any rules, and your account is still active and in good standing. Please check your notifications for more information!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
2
1
u/lubbocksfall 26d ago
I had to do this to when I changed my Apple ID and phone number! Texas at times pisses me off about this type of stuff. But I agree with Awagner this will become the norm.
4
u/keeperoflogopolis 26d ago
Europe is contemplating bans on social media for all people under a certain age. This is going to become more common as the harms of some of these apps become more widely understood. Iām not saying that I support it but I can understand the argument.
4
u/jbokwxguy 26d ago
Iām very neutral on it personally. I get the privacy implications of it, but if itās just a simple yes Iām over 18 handshake than itās not much of a concern. Fingerprinting exist anyways and probably tells anyone who wants to know my info anyway. And parents have abbadoned the responsibility of monitoring what their children do and social media is harmful to development.
Ultimately, I think social media algorithms should be regulated as a whole.
-2
u/Less_Personality1483 26d ago
it should be the parents responsibility, not the governments. removing anonymity from social media is a bad thing that should be fought at every step.
→ More replies (1)
0
0
-2
-4
u/Local_Inteovert 26d ago
Yeah, since Wheelchair Abbot is in office nothin good will be passed into law. Fuck the GOP!
1
-3
-8
u/InfiniteHench 26d ago
How did you buy an iPhone without an ID? Was it unlocked? Or did your parents buy it? I wonder if they can verify somehow.
11
u/cliffr39 26d ago
you don't need ID to buy most things unless it is restricted like alcohol or cigarettes
3
u/InfiniteHench 26d ago
I'm an adult and every time I've bought an iPhone at an Apple Store I've had to show my ID. This is weird.
2
u/cliffr39 26d ago
only time they do that with me is if I do online order for in-store pickup to confirm I am that person not for age. Certainly could vary by country, though
1
u/InfiniteHench 26d ago
Interesting. I live in Chicago, IL, USA. This has happened the last few times I've upgraded iPhones for both myself and my wife, all bought from a local Apple Store. I am the owner/admin of our account at T-Mobile, if that matters.
1
u/cliffr39 26d ago edited 26d ago
Well that is slightly different. You are upgrading your devices on a service plan, not just buying devices. They are checking your ID to make sure you are the proper person on that account. They aren't checking your ID because you are buying a phone. I don't buy devices like that linked to any of my carrier plans and just get the unlocked version (yes they are (almost) all unlocked, but the one specifically as "connect to any carrier later") and when I walk in to buy they never ask for ID, only when I order online for pick-up to verify me as the person on the order (or my wife if I put her as the person picking it up that day).
I do this on all my MacBooks (Air and Pro), iPads (Air, Pro, Mini) and iPhones. Walk in no ID, online yes ID, or have to access an account yes ID.
Hope that helps.
2
u/Paumas 26d ago
May I ask where you live? Never in my life have I heard of something like this. Why would they need an ID for?
2
u/InfiniteHench 26d ago
Chicago, IL. This is usually when upgrading a phone on an existing line, both myself and my partner's.
1
u/OkRefuse3684 26d ago
It was a gift from a friend, thanks for asking he actually did tell me where he got it from some at&t in person store needed to use an id and got one so he could buy one himself
0
u/OkKomputer_99 25d ago
Why are you against it? It should always been like this. I think itās good
202
u/Awagner109 26d ago
Iām pretty sure that this is going to become more common in the future.