Age verification signals: software applications and online services.

Assembly Member Wicks proposes new requirements for age verification and parental controls across digital platforms through legislation establishing the Digital Age Assurance Act. The measure would require device manufacturers and app stores to implement age verification interfaces that communicate users' age brackets to applications while maintaining user privacy.

Under the proposed framework, covered manufacturers must create systems allowing device owners to input birth dates or ages, generating non-personally identifiable signals that classify users into six age brackets ranging from under 5 to 18 and older. App stores would need parental consent before allowing users under 16 to download applications and must provide developers with verification of this consent. The legislation defines covered manufacturers as entities producing devices, operating systems, or application distribution platforms.

Developers receiving age verification signals would have new obligations to implement parental control features appropriate to the risks of their applications. These tools must enable parents to manage account connections, ensure age-appropriate content delivery, and set daily time limits for users under 18. The bill establishes that developers may rely on the accuracy of age signals received through the system for compliance purposes.

The Attorney General would enforce the act through civil actions, with penalties of up to $2,500 per affected child for negligent violations and $7,500 for intentional violations. The measure specifies that its protections supplement existing safeguards, including the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, while limiting additional data collection to only what is necessary for compliance.