California law forces operating systems to share user age brackets with apps
Mar 1st 2026
The Digital Age Assurance Act requires every operating system provider in California to collect age at account setup and transmit one of four age brackets to app developers via a real-time API, covering major platforms and including Linux and SteamOS.
- AB 1043, signed in October 2025, takes effect January 1, 2027.
- OS providers must collect user age at account setup and classify users as under 13, 13 to under 16, 16 to under 18, or 18 and older.
- Providers must expose a real-time API that returns a user age bracket when an app is downloaded or launched.
- The law's broad definition of operating system provider explicitly includes Linux distributions and Valve's SteamOS.
- The requirement applies to operating system providers operating in California and allows app developers to request the age signal.