Delivering safer, age-appropriate experiences on Google Play

Google has announced an expansion of the Google Play Age Signals API, a tool designed to help developers create age-appropriate experiences for users while empowering parents to make informed decisions about their children's online safety. The API, which has previously been available in Brazil, will now be accessible globally for all Play developers, first in Australia and Canada by mid-August, followed by a full rollout to all users later in the year.

The Play Age Signals API operates on a privacy-preserving basis, allowing parents to share their child's age range with apps directly. This information enables developers to tailor their in-app safety settings and content to match the age group of their users, thus providing a safer online experience. Developers have the flexibility to choose the most appropriate safety measures based on the nature of their app, rather than adhering to a one-size-fits-all approach.

In addition to empowering developers, the update simplifies controls for parents. Through the Google Family Link app, parents can easily share their child's age range, which is then transmitted to all Play apps that utilize the Age Signals API. This allows children to access age-appropriate content without parents having to manually configure settings in each individual app. The age ranges are not shared by default and can be adjusted or disabled by parents at any time through the Family Link app.