You must be at least 13 to use Apple's services, and if you set up Family Sharing, the adult organizer is financially responsible for all purchases — including app and in-app purchases — made by children in the family group.
This analysis describes what Apple Pay's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The provision operationalizes age-gating for the service and allocates financial and administrative responsibility through the Family Sharing structure, establishing the family organizer as the accountable party for underage member transactions rather than the minors themselves.
Family organizers face financial liability for all purchases made by minors in their Family Sharing group, including potentially large in-app purchases in games, which may be difficult to dispute or reverse under Apple's no-refund policy.
How other platforms handle this
The Meta Products are not directed to children. Access to or use of Meta Products by anyone under the age of 13 is not allowed. If you are based in the EU, you must be at least 16 years old, or the minimum age in your country if it is higher than 16, to use or access Meta Products, unless your count...
Activities involving gambling, gaming and/or any other activity with an entry fee and a prize, including, but not limited to property/real estate prizes, casino games, sports betting, horse or greyhound racing, fantasy sports, lottery tickets, other ventures that facilitate gambling, games of skill ...
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"You must be at least 13 years old to use the Services. Apple's Family Sharing feature allows a family organizer to share purchases, subscriptions, and Apple services with up to five family members. The family organizer is responsible for all purchases made by family members under the age of 18.— Excerpt from Apple Pay's Apple Media Services Terms
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: The 13-year minimum age threshold is set in accordance with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. §6501 et seq., 16 CFR Part 312), which restricts collection of personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent — enforced by the FTC. For EU/EEA users, GDPR Art. 8 sets the digital consent age at 16 (or lower if member states have set a different threshold, minimum 13), requiring parental consent for processing data of children below that age. The FTC has brought multiple enforcement actions against platforms for inadequate COPPA compliance, with fines reaching into the tens of millions of dollars.
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The provision operationalizes age-gating for the service and allocates financial and administrative responsibility through the Family Sharing structure, establishing the family organizer as the accountable party for underage member transactions rather than the minors themselves.
Family organizers face financial liability for all purchases made by minors in their Family Sharing group, including potentially large in-app purchases in games, which may be difficult to dispute or reverse under Apple's no-refund policy.
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