Apple is modifying its App Store guidelines to make it more difficult for minors to use dating applications or AI companions that feature “sexual or romantic content,” as announced to developers on Monday.
These updated regulations build upon previous enhancements designed to safeguard minors, which include the global implementation of its age verification system and expanded parental controls and child safety functionalities.
While most prominent dating services typically limit their platforms to adults, Apple’s new policy will require all apps offering dating or romantic relationship features to carry an 18+ age rating. The company specified that starting November 16, developers must incorporate new content descriptors to ensure their app’s age ratings accurately reflect its features.
A more interesting aspect is how this rule might impact AI companion apps, or those where such functionality is one of many features. Often aimed at younger individuals, Character.AI, Replika, and similar AI applications allow users to create AI companions, including friends, romantic partners, and various fantasy characters.
Last year, xAI also launched 3D animated AI companions that provided users with access to NSFW capabilities. By the previous summer, leading AI companion apps on both the Apple App Store and Google Play had collectively accumulated 220 million global downloads.
In addition to “dating and relationships,” apps will also be required to disclose if they transmit a user’s real-world location to another individual or group as part of their features. Such location sharing presents clear privacy issues, especially if the user is unaware of this action.
The company further stated that in Brazil, applications offering family-oriented location-sharing capabilities can seek an official rating from the government’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP/Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública), rather than being obliged to use the A16 rating, as per local legislation.