The Digital Age Assurance Act will require built-in age signals for apps, forcing tech companies to comply with state-specific rules beginning in 2027.
California lawmakers have enacted Assembly Bill 1043—the Digital Age Assurance Act—a new law that will mandate that operating system providers and app marketplaces collect users’ ages at account setup and transmit an age-bracket “signal” to developers so applications can tailor experiences based on a user’s age category.
The measure, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, and is widely seen as the state’s most aggressive approach yet to regulating online access and chatbot interactions involving minors.
Under AB 1043, manufacturers of devices, operating systems, and “covered application stores” must provide an accessible interface during initial setup that allows account holders to voluntarily indicate a birth date or age.
That information is then encoded into a digital signal, such as “under 13,” “13-15,” “16-17,” or “18+,” which developers must request when apps are downloaded and launched.
Developers are deemed to have “actual knowledge” of the user’s age bracket once they receive that signal, and must use it to comply with applicable laws and protections for children online.
The law includes civil penalties enforceable by the California Attorney General for noncompliance, with fines per affected child. It also prohibits app stores or developers from using the age signal for unrelated third-party purposes, aiming to protect privacy while enforcing age-appropriate controls.
The bill was carried by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, a Democrat from Oakland, and backed by groups that have long pushed for stricter online safety standards for children.
The law could force companies to redesign products specifically for California, increasing costs and creating a patchwork of state-by-state compliance regimes if similar laws are adopted elsewhere.
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